John Vespasian

John Vespasian
  • 0.0 (0)
  • CIENCIAS SOCIALES
  • CADA DÍA

JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of sixteen books, including “When everything fails, try this” (2009), “Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010), “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012), “Rational living, rational working” (2013), “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief” (2014), “On becoming unbreakable” (2015), “Thriving in difficult times” (2016), “Causality: Aristotle’s life and ideas” (2024), “Foresight: Schopenhauer’s life and ideas” (2024), and "Constancy: Michel de Montaigne's life and ideas" (2025).

  1. Aristotle’s perspective on the purpose of human life

    5 FEB

    Aristotle’s perspective on the purpose of human life

    If you wonder why so many people seem completely lost, unable to make good decisions, the answer is straightforward: They have no purpose in life. They have no goals, no #vision of what they want to achieve. They are going nowhere in particular and do not care if they get there or not. Since they have no sense of direction, they are incapable of consistent action. No wonder they feel stressed. In contrast, #aristotle placed purpose at the very centre of his view of ethics. Purpose is the magnet that enables polarisation. It is the force that keeps things aligned and harmonious. What’s the #purpose of life according to Aristotle? To attain happiness (in Greek “eudaimonia”). He defined happiness as “thriving” or “flourishing,” a state of high, steady enjoyment. According to Aristotle, a proper human life shall aim at high achievement, #selfactualisation , and happiness. It is not enough to just stay alive, eat and reproduce. It is not enough to pursue pleasure and entertainment. Without purpose, it becomes impossible to attain the highest stages of joy. Happiness comes from striving to achieve crucial goals, and employing your energies and #reason to reach your full potential. For Aristotle, #happiness goes beyond fleeting pleasures. You cannot randomly fall into happiness. It is a state of being that can only be earned through good decisions and actions. Aristotle taught that every person should establish a purpose (“telos” in Greek) that is worth pursuing. Purpose enables each human being to filter out noise and distractions, and use his resources optimally. Your purpose should be #consistent with reality, in particular with human nature. Animals can have a “final cause” because they pursue simple short-term goals, but cannot have a purpose. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/aristotles-perspective-on-the-purpose-of-human-life/

    10 min
  2. Key ideas in Aristotle’s concepts of potentiality and actuality

    5 FEB

    Key ideas in Aristotle’s concepts of potentiality and actuality

    The concepts of potentiality and actuality occupy the central position in Aristotle’s #metaphysics . They supply an invaluable intellectual tool to assess people and events for what they are, and for what they could become. They prompt you to assess not only what is self-evident, but also the latent capabilities and threats; they let you forecast the future by using #causality and logic, not magic and divination. Aristotle’s concepts of potentiality and actuality encompass three key ideas. Each of them has been proven by history, but was harshly attacked by its opponents. The attacks showed the will to obliterate #criticalthinking and replace it by propaganda. Let us explore these three key ideas in detail. The first key idea in Aristotle’s concepts of potentiality and actuality is that they possess a strong #ethical component. They are meant to encourage people to become a better version of themselves, not to commit crimes or promote evil projects. When #aristotle says that person A has the potential to do B or become C, he is implying that person A will display virtuous behaviour in the process. Aristotle’s #philosophy is #optimistic and ethical. He is encouraging #selfactualisation by means of honest, steady work, not through manipulation and theft. Niccolo #machiavelli (1469-1527) completely distorted the Aristotelian idea of potentiality by decoupling it from ethics; in order to further his own career, Machiavelli gave convoluted arguments in favour of becoming a worse version of oneself. Aristotle regarded self-actualisation as a process in which a person can set virtuous goals, make plans and carry them out to #achieve (“actualize”) something that is objectively good. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/key-ideas-in-aristotles-concepts-of-potentiality-and-actuality/

    8 min
  3. Happiness and Aristotle’s views on the nature of reality and existence

    5 FEB

    Happiness and Aristotle’s views on the nature of reality and existence

    I’m always amused when people talk about #philosophy with disdain, arguing that “it is a waste of time because it lacks any practical application.” This opinion, which is as widespread today as it was during Aristotle’s life (384-322 BC), is profoundly naive. It shows the inability to perceive the impact of abstractions on daily events. In fact, it matters a lot if your views on the nature of reality and existence are accurate. If your views (and those outlined by #aristotle ) are aligned with reality, you’ll make good choices and achieve happiness. On the contrary, if your views are not aligned with reality, you will make mistake after mistake, and suffer the consequences. Consistency is the hallmark of philosophical truth; in a good system of ideas, each individual aspect matches the totality and the totality matches reality. Every application of true #principles leads to the best possible outcome under the circumstances. True philosophy operates through identity and #causality . It does not depend on wishful thinking, magic, or hope. Aristotle in his “Nicomachean Ethics” called hope a “waking dream” in contrast to the predictability delivered by causality. Even small deviations from the truth will create a lethal lack of consistency. Any discrepancy will undermine effectiveness and motivation. I cannot count the number of dire errors that I have witnessed, committed due to inconsistencies. The most destructive people are the ones who refuse to take notice of the inconsistencies in their philosophy. They’ll keep going in the wrong direction until it’s too late. They will rather annihilate themselves than look at reality face-to-face. For example, the Roman philosopher #seneca (1-65 AD) had adopted in many areas ideas similar to Aristotle’s, but failed to grasp the concept of causality. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/happiness-and-aristotles-views-on-the-nature-of-reality-and-existence/

    5 min
  4. The failed crusade against Aristotle’s philosophy of logic

    5 FEB

    The failed crusade against Aristotle’s philosophy of logic

    The philosophical innovations brought forth by #aristotle (384-322 BC) are momentous, truly revolutionary, especially in the field of logic. His identification of a precise method (which he called #syllogism ) to reach accurate conclusions allowed, for the first time in history, to conduct rational debates. Modern #civilisation is built on the pillars of Aristotle’s logic and the enemies of civilisation know that it can be undermined by severing those pillars. Without well-defined rules of #logic , a rational discussion becomes impossible and anything goes. Unfortunately, #history has generated many crusaders against Aristotelian logic. The damage they’ve inflicted on civilisation is proportional to the extent of their popularity. The confusion they have created is proportional to how far they’ve twisted the works of Aristotle. The French philosopher Rene #descartes (1596–1650) made vast efforts to undermine Aristotelian logic. In his book titled “Meditations on First Philosophy” from 1841, Descartes gives long arguments in favour of subjective #introspection ; he speaks in favour of finding the truth in pure abstractions. Descartes’ proposal, if taken seriously, would lead to a chain of deductions (without any empirical data) from essential ideas that philosophers have identified through introspection. Thankfully, Descartes devoted the following decades of his life to mathematics, geometry and astronomy, instead of trying to spread his #philosophical delusions. His logic makes no sense and does not refute Aristotle’s in any way. A second crusader against Aristotelian logic is #johnlocke (1632–1704). His “Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” published in 1690, summarises his views on logic. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-failed-crusade-against-aristotles-philosophy-of-logic/

    6 min
  5. Misunderstandings about Seneca’s ideas

    28 ENE

    Misunderstandings about Seneca’s ideas

    It is not a coincidence that historians and philosophers have spread large misunderstandings of #stoicism , especially of the ideas presented by Seneca in his writings. They did so, not to destroy Seneca’s reputation, but to push their own doctrines to the forefront. They believed that, by undermining the appeal of Stoicism, people would be driven to accept opposite doctrines. Fortunately, those historians and philosophers did an awful job at undermining Seneca. I would argue that their distortions have achieved the opposite effect. Instead of driving Stoicism into oblivion, they had magnified its influence and endurance. The attempts to misrepresent Stoicism come in all flavours, but share a common element: They present #seneca as a liar or hypocrite; they point to his literary praise of simplicity while he accumulated an immense fortune; they compare his words with his actions, and decry the inconsistencies. Indeed, those discrepancies exist, but I do not know of any philosopher who perfectly embodied his own ideals. I consider the demand for perfect #consistency unrealistic because it takes decades for a thinker to give shape to his body of thought. By the time his intellectual edifice is completed, the author cannot go back in time and change his own past. He cannot be expected to reincarnate overnight into a perfect human being, one who would think and act with omniscience. The demand for perfect consistency between words and actions does not invalidate a body of philosophical ideas. It can drive us to examine those ideals more thoroughly and question the philosopher’s motivation, but the truth is the truth. It would not make any sense to shoot the messenger. Seneca was conscious of the impossibility of achieving total consistency. Everybody makes mistakes, but we just tend to be stricter with philosophers’ errors. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/misunderstandings-about-senecas-ideas/

    12 min
  6. Seneca on the fear of death

    28 ENE

    Seneca on the fear of death

    Historians have greatly exaggerated the importance of the Stoic insights on the fear of death. Seneca wrote about #death in his essays and in the Letters to Lucilius, but did little more than rehashing the views of earlier philosophers. I can summarise Seneca’s insights in two sentences: First, death is part of the normal life cycle, but hypochondriacs and paranoiacs will refuse to accept this fact. Second, it is wiser to devote one’s efforts to living wisely rather than #worrying about death. #seneca Seneca was baffled that people would consume endless time and energy worrying about death, consulting astrologists and oracles, and mourning deceased family members and friends. In Ancient Greece and Rome, many rituals revolved around death, but the same can be said of other cultures. A large share of the buildings preserved by history serve as burial places for aristocrats and heroes. Death seems to have been an obsession for everybody, irrespective of their beliefs or ideology. During his exile in Corsica, Seneca wrote to his mother and conveyed his thoughts on #suffering and death. Scholars have named this letter “Consolation to Helvia.” Seneca had recently turned forty-five and Helvia must have been in her sixties. In his letter, Seneca elaborates the theme of “misfortune is a normal element of life.” He is primarily referring to his exile in Corsica, but he had used the same logic in letters about death, sickness and financial setbacks.Seneca argues that suffering can help victims “develop their mental strength,” but the #logic is weak. I can imagine far easier ways to develop one’s mental strength. Do we need to undergo severe injuries to learn to avoid infections? I dare say no. The Consolation to Helvia revolves around Seneca’s belief that we’ll attain freedom if we become “masters of ourselves,” but does not explain how self-chastisement and endurance can possibly render our lives better. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-on-the-fear-of-death/

    8 min
  7. Seneca’s principles for thriving in life

    28 ENE

    Seneca’s principles for thriving in life

    Large numbers of philosophers have preached ideals that do not have anything to do with real life. When I read their works, I can only wonder if they spent one minute reflecting on work, success, prosperity or #happiness . #seneca exemplifies the opposite. He devoted his works to dealing with real-life concerns and supplied useful advice. He didn’t put forward ideals that he would not practise himself, even if he never achieved perfect consistency. In the essay “On the Happy Life,” Seneca gave us his recipe for thriving in life. He was already sixty-two when he wrote it, and drew lessons from a lifetime experience. His long exile in Corsica had marked his character as much as his later financial success as adviser to Empress Agrippina. Seneca’s concept of happiness is different from Aristotle’s. I attribute the differences to essential philosophical arguments. It is not that Seneca was unfamiliar with #aristotle (384-322 BC) and the “Nicomachean Ethics” and “Eudemian Ethics.” He did know Aristotle’s formula for happiness, but disagreed with it. “Thriving” and “achievement” drive Aristotelian ethics from beginning to end. For Aristotle, human action is teleological. It has happiness as a goal (“telos”), for which health, prosperity, success and popularity constitute stepping stones. Aristotelian moral values are supposed to help us thrive and advance towards happiness. When we practise #virtues such as self-discipline or benevolence, Aristotle argued, we are helping ourselves build a better life. Seneca did not contest that humans desire happiness, but he found Aristotle’s advice impractical. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-principles-for-thriving-in-life/

    10 min
  8. Seneca’s thoughts on self-reliance

    28 ENE

    Seneca’s thoughts on self-reliance

    In history, the concept of #selfreliance developed in parallel to the concept of #individuality . In the absence of autonomy, we cannot speak of self-reliance. In the absence of personal assets, there is no room for deploying them effectively. The Stoics, Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, and #seneca , were the first philosophers to underline the importance of individual serenity and self-reliance. #plato (427-347 BC) and #aristotle (384-322 BC) had not given much thought to this matter because they regarded the city (“polis”) as a necessity. In contrast to Plato and Aristotle, Seneca considered wealth, success, prosperity, social harmony, friendship and popularity as optional. Those factors can enrich our experience, Seneca noted, but do not determine our #happiness . In the 91st Letter to Lucilius, Seneca explained the crucial importance of self-reliance. If we make our happiness depend on other people’s actions, argued Seneca, #disappointments are inevitable. Self-reliance consists of taking our happiness in our own hands, so that we grow invulnerable to disruptions. Even if justice and #fairness generally prevail, we are bound to be deceived or short-changed in some cases. Why? Because, some people will make innocent mistakes, or take advantage of the situation, or simply refuse to play according to the rules. Like no other philosopher, Seneca had grasped that a certain measure of social friction and unfairness are unavoidable. It is in our interest to accept this fact and protect us accordingly. All plans for self-reliance will fail if we don’t internalise why they are necessary and urgent. In the 91st Letter to Lucilius, Seneca refers to the fortuitous destruction of Lyon by fire as an event that put the self-reliance of its inhabitants to the test. Lyon’s devastation occurred when Seneca was already sixty-seven years old and spending most of his time in his villa near Naples. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-thoughts-on-self-reliance/

    12 min
Ver todo (374)

Acerca de

JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of sixteen books, including “When everything fails, try this” (2009), “Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010), “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012), “Rational living, rational working” (2013), “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief” (2014), “On becoming unbreakable” (2015), “Thriving in difficult times” (2016), “Causality: Aristotle’s life and ideas” (2024), “Foresight: Schopenhauer’s life and ideas” (2024), and "Constancy: Michel de Montaigne's life and ideas" (2025).

Información

  • Creador
    John Vespasian
  • Años de actividad
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodios
    374
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Copyright
    © Copyright John Vespasian
  • Mostrar sitio web
    John Vespasian