Philip Seymour Hoffman had a knack for playing desperate, smug and conniving during his 20-plus years as one of America's finest actors. For "God's Pocket," one of Hoffman's last major roles, the ...

Jerry Seinfeld continues to be in the news, but this time in the unlikely role as a student of philosophy. He has been reading Marcus Aurelius, as he recently informed a tv show host an activity which ...

A bust of the Stoic philosopher Seneca. (Photo by the Wellcome Collection) By signing up, you confirm that you are over the age of 16 and agree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs ...

The rise of stoicism as a chic cultural trend among the middle and upper classes belies a deeper history of how self-denial and discipline serve as markers of class and tools of power. Across Silicon ...

In this and in a couple of future articles, we shall consider the cultural rivals of Christianity. In the early days, the Christian faith went from being a small sect of Judaism to eventually becoming ...

Cato's Suicide, by Charles Le Brun. Source: Wikicommons/public domain In the Classical World, the old religion privileged ritual over doctrine, and educated people turned instead to philosophy for ...

Stoicism has undeniable appeal. It teaches discipline of the mind, acceptance of what cannot be controlled, and emotional restraint in the face of hardship. “Only my thoughts are within my power,” the ...