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.
From Defense to War: A Stoic Response to America’s Rebrand
Practical Stoicism
23 minutes
1 month ago
From Defense to War: A Stoic Response to America’s Rebrand
In this episode I unpack the recent announcement that the U.S. Department of Defense is being renamed the Department of War — and why, from a Stoic perspective, that shift in language and intent is antithetical to virtue. I explore what a true warrior ethos looks like according to Stoic philosophy, why intentions matter more than branding or rhetoric, and how populist theatrics around power can easily drift away from justice and wisdom.
Key takeaways from this episode include:
— The Stoic warrior ethos is not about “maximum lethality” or offense, but about justice, self-control, wisdom, and courage in the face of conflict.
— Words and names may be performative, but they reflect values — and the move from “defense” to “war” signals an embrace of ambition, anger, and cruelty rather than virtue.
— Stoics judge the morality of military action by its intent: is it for justice and the common good, or for dominance and destruction?
— Populist leaders often confuse performative strength with true moral strength; Stoics would remind us that virtue, not spectacle, is the real measure of power.
— As Seneca reminds us, our task while we live is to practice humanity, not to be a terror to others.
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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.
