Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.
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Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.
In this episode I dig into the Stoic approach to diet and the perennial “should Stoics eat meat?” question. I lay out what “living in accordance with Nature” really means (Logos, not tree-hugging shorthand), why eating animals isn’t inherently un-Stoic, and where our reasoning can go vicious—especially with industrialized, commodified animal agriculture. I also talk through practical ways contemporary Stoics can eat more justly without pretending to be sages or purists.
Key takeaways from this episode include:
— “According to Nature” = aligning choices with the Logos (the rational order of the cosmos), not suppressing feelings or chasing outcomes.
— Eating meat is a Stoic indifferent; what matters is the reasoning and method behind it. Killing as part of a balanced, natural cycle can be compatible with virtue; factory-style exploitation is not.
— Outcome-chasing (“ends justify the means”) isn’t Stoic. We judge the justice of our choices, not their hoped-for results.
— A sage-like pattern would be seasonal, mostly plant-forward eating, with animal products used thoughtfully and sparingly, sourced in ways that allow other beings to flourish.
— Practical steps: favor small/ethical producers, reduce single-use indulgence, buy what you need, recycle/compost, and treat dining-out choices with awareness (while accepting we won’t be perfect).
— The real Stoic question isn’t “meat or no meat?” but “Is how this food was produced—and why I’m choosing it—truly in accordance with Nature?”
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https://tannerocampbell.com
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Practical Stoicism
Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.
