The Virtual University: Marcus Aurelius Part 1

[Commager88]

What is the virtual University?

[saznrai]

Epic... tit- us!

[truthseeker010101]

I fell atheism questioning Christianity pushed me to study a long list of science and history. Questioning does lead people to think, I will try to teach in the same way.

[Death2Fanboys]

I never heard a more clear introduction of Hellenistic philosophy than the one provided here by Michael Sugrue. After two semesters of Western Philosophy and not complete understanding I will not set foot again on a community college. I get a better and more clear image of though on these videos.

[montoya11333]

great speaker

[truthseeker010101]

"weather girl dancing" should not be linked to this video but yet youtube linked it. Strange

[garbonomics]

Great lecture by a very eloquent speaker! Where did you get this lecture (i.e. what virtual school?) and are there more on other philosophers or schools of thought?

[dtstrain]

I would love to know how I can get this on DVD.

[muchdeep89]

Be a good slave

[VVillowz]

Someone please PM me with some more lectures Michael Sugrue made. Please and thankyou.

[toushabonzai]

Michael Sugrue used to work at Princeton, and also did a history of philosophy from the Teaching Company. I have the whole thing on tape. He is a phenomenal teacher. Laffing at the head exploding comment.

[wu10clan]

His discourse had one of the most comprehensive explanations of stoicism I've heard.

[Songsmirth]

Interesting but I think I'm going to have to listen to it several times. So concentrated. Thanks Cave for sharing this with us. :)

[Diognetus]

I would favorite this video, but the music at the beginning makes my head want to explode.

[aWholeCrystalMint]

This is tripped

[cantavoidtrite]

Are there any other lectures available by Dr. Michael Sugrue? I am able to give him my absolute undivided attention.

[globalreaction]

The talk is great - the constant shifting about is distracting, though.

[DreamsofMajesty]

scribd (dot) com / nb812



[ToTheConquered]

Are there any links for this video? Would be helpful for an essay I'm doing. I don't want to just use a link from youtube as one of my citations.

[extremeinferno]

hmm the speaker seems to be quite unmotivated Oo

[tranquil87]

@extremeinferno tony robbins is the other way if you're more into that

[WarriorFootball]

Very inspiring lecture- "Greatness is the perception that virtue is Enough".

Thank You for this Video..

[TenderTrap86]

If anybody likes learning about Stoicism, try learning about the school of thought it was derived from: Cynicism. It was the precursor to Stoicism. There was Antisthenes of Athens, Crates of Thebes, and the man Plato described as a "Socrates gone mad", Diogenes of Sinope. Epictetus was also influenced by the Cynics, and Diogenes was one of his models of virtue, and he may very well become yours as well, after learning about him. So check Cynicism out, because it's great stuff. Trust me. :)

[goPistons06]

This proffesor is great, he was my introduction to stoicism. if you are interested in any way in Marcus Aurelius or stoicism, read meditations, you will enjoy it.

[aivopark]

Leptis Magnas own big star.

[hufter39999euro]

Well explained this. Good stuff.

[cheeryble]

I just heard Stoicism characterised by a rejection of pleasure. This is utterly incorrect unless "pleasure" is highly qualified to mean base, instant, gratification.....which he did not do. Whether he did it purposely or just slipped, it continues a broad misconception of Stoicism as "grin and bear it" rather than a practical philosophy the practise of which will automatically, as a matter of cause and effect, bring tranquillity, which tranquillity is the soundest form of pleasure.

Cheeryble

[davecom3]

@cheeryble, succinct and very well put.

[igorkrupitsky]

Michael Sugrue rules!

[schizflux]

This is no Darren Stalloff, this is Michael Sugrue. Best lecturer out there. Seriously. I have been listening to his presentations for years.

[BillyMumfrey]

The problem with stoicism is that there is no ambition, very little passion.

[zelcon01]

@ 8:40 'He doesn't settle for less than what he truly could be'

Sounds fairly ambitious to me

[BillyMumfrey]

Yes, but that could mean anything. It could mean a spiritual pursuit. That would conflict almost assuredly with worldly, material pursuits. Socrates shows very little ambition except to show that others lack true knowledge and that he is in pursuit of knowledge.

By ambition, I mean what everyone means: the pursuit of worldly success.

[kvonribbenburg]

Do you mean that stoic philosophy is too rational?

[78bobob]

well they base their philosophy on rationalism, but at the same time they submit themselves to the Gods, because they believe that theses gods are rational in there actions.

[kvonribbenburg]

That's not true. As far as I know stoics are not perse believing in God(s). The term Logos, which plays a crucial role in the understanding of Stoic philosophy, has been translated by some to a higher power. Submitting also isn't part of the Stoic vocabulaire, since it's a self-centered philsophy (like epicurianism). The Logos is to be found inside, not outside. If this is a pro or a con is yet too be seen.

[78bobob]

well you have to admit that there is a form of fatalism in there philosophy

[kvonribbenburg]

True, the one thing left to do for the stoic is moral improvement and hardening. The stoic is like a dying flower.

[saruman84]

Not True. You are suppose to do your duty the best you can. Not to slack off. Be productive part of the universe.

[whymee100]

Are there more lectures by this prof?

[oldgael]

Darren Stalloff, I think - fantastic lecture - really brilliant approach and context; good sense of humor, too. More please!

[justwannamakeluv]

Excellent! This guy is a great speaker. He presents the material in the most logical possible way. Philosophy should not be dry or overly analytical but a means to living life correctly.

[alSation81]

I think the lecturer over-emphasizes the 'Socratic'; was he not largely a sock-puppet for Plato's propaganda? History's victor was Plato, and it was to the detriment of philognosticism.

If one is to see the Platonic/Socratic as the one force in Greek philosophy then the great atomist Hippocrates is but a wide-eyed dope tottling after the font of all wisdom, even still his mentor Democritus had all his work destroyed by Plato. A great shame

This is very interesting but to me seems outdated.

[alexjager7]

phiosophers have long been known to pace about while philosophizing.

[RestiveBob]

I am a huge fan of Antoninus. But this guy, pacing around the room and looking really uncertain of himself, makes me doubt his notions of Marcus Aurelius. I have seven different translations of Antoninus (Marcus A.), and the Wordsworth edition is my favorite. Could this guy please stop pacing? He looks such like a junior rank professor, it's pathetic!

[potentialrandom]

Like an outsider looking in, though he makes no pretense to the contrary.

Today I feel a little restive myself, and admittedly, I also find his pacing to be somewhat grating in a way that wasn't so on a previous viewing. I enjoyed the presentation though.

[annegold]

I was very distracted by this guy. Just shut your eyes and it's much better.

[annegold]

Now I'm even more distracted and can't stop listening to him. . .his name is Michael Sugrue and has quite a resume. Wish I could have gone to Princeton when he taught there, with my eyes closed in the back row.

[monkeylojic]

medditatons was something that i agreed with more than learnt from.But by advising people to get the book ive seen some remarkable changes in these people.They actually understand me a bit more.

[smellincoffee]

What's the name of this guy? I enjoyed hearing him speak.

[xVin89x]

Marcus Aurelius was an honorable and brilliant man. can anyone explain to me how his son Commodus turned out to be the exact opposite of him?

[Killare2]

fucked up wife

[marsCubed]

Wouldn't you be pissed if someone named you after a commode?

[BOGZASV8MA]

thats what happens when you dont give attention to your children?

[BrianTheMusicMan]

Michael Sugrue

[kingjanaka]

@smellincoffee His name is MICHAEL SUGRUE. He used to teach at Princeton, and now teaches at Ave Maria. A number of years back he did tons of lectures like this for the Teaching Company, including an entire course on Plato, etc. They're all brilliant. He's the best lecturer I've heard period, and because of him, I've been bored out of my mind now for years - in both uni. and grad. school.

[apocchime]

@smellincoffee michael sugrue

[JUNKYARDOGvideos]

philosophy {as a job-way of making money} defeats the philosophy. this type of 'philosophy' is simply 'labeling' things so that they seem to make sense to humans

it is no philosophy at all. just the gathering of thins to make you feel better before you die {a new adventure,perhaps?}

[JUNKYARDOGvideos]

the body language and manner of this guy are that of an 'exper't, quite the opposite of Socrates way of teaching.

i love 'freudian slips' he stumbles for the word 'articulate'

and then sais "I am the eternal 'EQuierer' instead of 'INquirer'

people are funny, "i think therefore Im spam"

[knopflerdire]

nice , yummy , its almost buddhism , reason in everything , cause n the effect

[saruman84]

@knopflerdire exactly what I thought. Buddhism is close to this teachings.

[Shebaqueenof]

Brilliant, thanks

[Weedlab11]

Very well put! The exact same thing I did in Phil 101.

Thanks ....

[istprain]

dont mixup hedonism and sensual pleasure i.e. pleasure of the senses the interpretation of mind.

[alSation81]

Bias has muddied an otherwise neutral concept.

In the Oddeyssy it was said that the poises of a statue -its purpose - was the hedone that it imparted on the eyes.

To the Greeks hedone was aesthetic and general all-round pleasantry.

The Christians in the new testament make "hedonai" mean "sinner" with no bones about it ... they generally go for the guttoral emphasis and make a broad set of phreno-somatic experiences all about sex.

[HiAdrian]

Great talk, very easy to follow. Thanks!

[subwaysleuth]

After failing to break a pesky binge-addiction, using therapy, groups, smartrecovery, Shubentsov (The Mad Russian), I stumbled upon Aurelius' "Meditations" in the library. They make a noble diary, and they will influence everything I do, now: my poems, my music,my behavior, even my Youtube use. Thanks for posting an easy-to-follow introduction to the topic of Roman Stoicism. It has much to say to us, today. ...Sylvester of Times Square

[JUNKYARDOGvideos]

I found 'the medditations of Marcus Aurilius antoninus when I was 8 years old, and it shaped my life more than anything, eaven to leave my good life behind and start again on the other side of the planet.{which has made me a stoic}

good lock on you're adventures, my friend

[StoneWallD]

Yes! My friend.

[jiraiya2006]

Can I class myself as stoic if, I show the emotion of laughter toward the the disfusction of life around me?

[ineby42]

Dear jiraiya2006

That's a really good question. I am interested in stoicism but it's a bit dry for me. I too think you need some laughter at the absurdity of the human condition to get through the day.

[tanit]

I think you'll find a sort of absurd humor in Marcus Aurelius - he laughs at how painful the world can be, think the Comedian from Watchmen, Henry Rollins or Bill Hicks. You can show emotion, just don't let me it rule you. Stoicism is not about displays, its about action. A well-trained stoic would not be ruled by emotion but would not ignore its relevance.

[alSation81]

That sounds exactly like Democritus, 'the laughing philosopher' (though actually an atomic phsycician and mentor to Hippocrates).

He laughed at the dramatics of everyday life as they were so transient and temporary and not worth the expenditure of energy.

The much-later Stoics (named for the 'Stoa' or covered walkways where they gathered) emphasized a detachment from inner emotion - apatheia.

I believe the Stoics learned much from Democritus, read about him, he's very underrated.

[jiraiya2006]

thanks for the information i'll look him up, was any of the philosophers depressed by any chance, not because of how they are but of what they have live through and see the horrors of human nature.... or maybe thats jus me... :(

[alSation81]

I believe we can safely say that all of them had experienced [what we today approximate as] 'depression', and as thinking people drew much meaning from the experience.

They did not hide from sadness as we now tend to do.

Zeno said that feeling happy and depressed (not the actual words) were like contractions and expansions, so that we all naturally go up and down. Democritus used music therapy for 'grief-stricken patients'.

They all had a 'formula' for 'being', in part managing sadness

[busheybushdawg]

Michael sugrue is an extremely articulate and amazing lecturer. Please post more!

[triplesharp]

I must take issue with the statement that Epicureanism lacks poetry and an overarching interpretation of human life. What about Lucretius, perhaps the greatest Latin poet, but also maybe underestimated as an original thinker.

[triplesharp]

Yes -the epicureans were quite puritanical, e.g. Lucretius. I don't know how they got the reputation for being hedonistic in the normal sense of the term.

[aloohparatha]

I've heard that Emperor Aurelius tried to decree Life Day as a empirial holiday. True or False?

[Shorbin]

True. Watch your words better.

[shalimarite]

You watch closely.

[errunus]

poor Epicurus. He was one of the least hedonistic philosophers yet Epicureanism took on the meaning of hedonism after his death.

[Stevehtegreatgr]

Well Epicureanism IS a form of Hedonism. Epicurus believed that eudaimonia can only come through the pleasure of the mind, be it short term or -in most cases- long term. Hedonism also tries the same thing, pleasure (which is being interpreted by the mind -remember), it's only that Epicurus found one of the best ways to achieve it and obviously it does not include lots of women, drunkenness etc (in fact those drive to great suffering in the long run, according to Epicurus).

[alSation81]

The greatest "pleasure" to Epicurus was freedom from pain. Hedone to him was simply a variable, being an atomist he was not interested in the 'divine emphasis' of the Platonics.

[Stevehtegreatgr]

Hedone is the greek word for pleasure, it just so happens to be that Epicurus thought "aponia" (no pain) as the greatest form of pleasure in itself, which leads (according to him) to "ataraxia", which is the Epicurean version of eudaimonia. Unlike many philosophers, Epicurus thought that reaching eudaimonia needed no extraordinary means, it could be reached through simple pleasures (of which -according to him- "aponia" was chief amongst them).

[alSation81]

Ataraxia (a-tarassein) was a component to euDaimonia for Hippocrates et Democritus, not the single component for them or their atomic descendant Epicurus.

Tarassein meant agitation, so aTaraxia was about discipline to weather the agitations of the world ... to manage them or rise above ... including lypein (grief or pain).

Stoics of course said aPatheia

To me Epicurus used a hedonic stimuli to contrast with his strict asceticism, it seems almost Zen in tracking the experiential. Thoughts?