Meditations is a series of private writings composed by Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome's greatest emperors, as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Written between 170 and 180 CE while on military campaigns, this work combines Stoic philosophy with personal observations on leadership, duty, mortality, and human nature. Through twelve books of intimate thoughts never intended for publication, Marcus Aurelius explores themes of self-improvement, resilience in the face of adversity, and living virtuously while accepting what cannot be changed.
This book includes Seneca's essays 'On Anger' and 'On Clemency', written as advice for Emperor Nero, and 'Apocolocyntosis', a satire lampooning the end of Claudius's reign. Seneca explores themes of controlling anger, the importance of mercy for rulers, and the nature of revenge. His works are renowned for their philosophical depth and literary style.
Ryan speaks with Martha Nussbaum about her new book Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility, the problems that can arise with the Stoic focus on the internal over the external, how the loss of her daughter taught her what to dedicate the rest of her life to, why animals should be considered citizens of a society, the actions that Martha is personally taking to protect animal rights, and more.
Martha Nussbaum is an American philosopher, author, animal rights activist, and the current Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, where she is jointly appointed in the law school and the philosophy department. She received her BA from NYU and her MA and PhD from Harvard, and she has taught at Harvard, Brown, and Oxford Universities and is currently the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics, appointed in the Department of Philosophy and the Law School. Her work, which has garnered 24 major awards since 1990, focuses on Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, feminist philosophy, political philosophy, and philosophy and the arts. Her seminal books include Anger, Mercy, Revenge (The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca), The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy, Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education, and From Disgust to Humanity: Sexual Orientation and Constitutional Law (Inalienable Rights). Since her daughter’s tragic death in 2019, Martha has dedicated her time to picking up the animal rights work that her daughter was passionate about.
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