Bryan Caplan on Epicureanism, Agency, and Self-Help (Episode 158)

Bryan Caplan, economist and bestselling author, discusses practical wisdom from modern economics and ancient philosophy.

He argues against medicalization of human behavior, champions personal agency, and reveals why appeasement often beats confrontation. Caplan shows how lessons from economics can serve as self-help and why creating a "social bubble" – the modern version of an Epicurean garden – might be the smartest way to navigate modern life.

The conversation spans Epicurean and Stoic perspectives on death, social obligations, and the thinker Thomas Szasz.

Self-Help Is Like a Vaccine

The Myth of the Rational Voter

Caplan on Szasz

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Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/