Episode 14: The Benefits of Philosophy with Dr. David Kyle Johnson

Why should we study Philosophy? What practical benefits may be gained from Philosophy? What impact does Philosophy have on society? How can we respond to those who call Philosophy useless? David Kyle Johnson is an associate professor of philosophy at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and is also a professor for The Great Courses. His courses include Exploring Metaphysics (2014) and The Big Questions of Philosophy (2016). In addition to being the author of The Myths that Stole Christmas, he also blogs for Psychology Today, has written and edited extensively for Wiley-Blackwell’s Philosophy and Pop Culture series, and has published work in journals such as Religious Studies, Sophia, Philo, Think, and Science, Religion and Culture regarding metaphysics and philosophy of religion. - TheHumanist.com My Stoic Philosophy series explores the tradition of Stoicism with goals to inform, empower, and help others benefit from practical wisdom of Ancient Greek, Roman, and modern thinkers including Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. For the Stoics, a main focus is pursuing virtue to attain a well-examined life through practical applications of Philosophy – acting with good character, using reason to form accurate careful judgments about the world, and achieving contentment. Stoic writers focus on many perennial human concerns and urge people to take action applying what they learn to everyday life. Self-improvement is central to Stoic thought – strengthening and improving one's mindset. Find Justin Vacula online and listen to past content: Main website: http://www.justinvacula.com SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/justinvacula YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/justinvacula Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/justin-vacula/stoic-philosophy Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/justinvacula Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justinvacula Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/justinvacula Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/justinvacula Support: Donate: http://justinvacula.com/donate/ Like, share, subscribe! Epictetus' Discourses: https://www.amazon.com/Discourses-Epictetus-Handbook-Fragments-Everymans/dp/0460873121/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478049820&sr=8-2&keywords=epictetus+discourses Marcus Aurelius' Meditations: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Thrift-Editions-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/048629823X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493590216&sr=8-1&keywords=marcus+aurelius+meditations Seneca's Letters to a Stoic https://www.amazon.com/Senecas-Letters-Stoic-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486811247/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493590249&sr=8-3&keywords=seneca+letters+from+a+stoic Stoic Philosophy – Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.iep.utm.edu/stoicism/ Massimo Pigliucci's Stoicism blog: https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/ Stoic Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Stoicism/