Oikeiôsis: The Stoic Opposite of Selfishness

Practical Stoicism

Evergreen Podcasts

Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.8 • 662 Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's episode, I'm discussing Oikeiôsis, an essential part of Stoic philosophy and a cornerstone for developing a virtuous character. I'll revisit Hierocles' Circles of Concern, illustrating our interconnectedness with family, community, humanity, and the biosphere, and introduce the Pyramid of Concern, a new perspective emphasizing the foundational role of broader concerns in our well-being. As we explore Oikeiôsis, I'll explain how caring for others as ourselves isn't just noble; it's a practical approach to living a fulfilled life. You've been with me through nearly 300 episodes, and now, as we begin 2024, we'll spend a whole month dissecting and applying Oikeiotic thinking and acting. We'll hear from ancient Stoics, apply their wisdom to modern challenges, and I'll even pose a question for you Spotify listeners to engage with directly in the mobile app. Let's start this year by understanding and embracing the full scope of our concerns, shaping them to enrich not just ourselves, but the entire world we are a part of. -- Become a Patron of this podcast : https://stoicismpod.com/members Check out Neurohacker and save : https://neurohacker.com/practical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Most of our media are owned by a handful of tech billionaires, but there's one place that still operates like the internet was never invented.
0:10.4	On the new season of the divided dial from On the Media, we're exploring shortwave radio, where prayer and propaganda coexist with news and conspiracy theories, and where an existential battle for the public airwaves is playing out right now.
0:26.2	Listen to On the Media year was terrific for you. It's Monday. I feel like when
0:55.8	years start on a Monday, it's an indication that it's the year of overachievers and hyper-organized
1:02.7	folks. Mondays, the start of the week, no one but those kinds of people seem to like those days.
1:07.7	And so I think this is the year of the productivity master or something
1:12.3	like that. If you are not a productivity master, as I am not, hopefully it's equally as good a year
1:18.3	for you in spite of it starting on a Monday. This week, we're going to talk about oikiosis.
1:23.5	Last year, which seems weird to say, but I guess it's that way every year. Last year, we had but one episode on oikiosis.
1:30.0	However, given its importance to a healthy stoic practice, we're going to start
1:34.6	24 out with an entire month of focus on oikiotic, which is a word I'm inventing, thinking
1:42.2	and acting.
1:43.4	We're not going to get into the weeds, but we are going to have a practical month revolving around oikiotic things.
1:51.1	But again, not getting deep into theory or the weeds.
1:54.2	No doubt at this point in your journey along the nearly 300 total episodes of this podcast,
1:59.2	you've heard me mention the circles of concern before.
2:02.5	These are a set of concentric circles that show the self at the center, and then family, friends,
2:09.1	community, all of humanity, and then thanks to Leonidas Constanticos and Kai Whiting,
2:15.2	the biosphere. And these things happen in succession, in the order I've just
2:19.6	named them. The aim of this diagram, which was put forth by the stoic philosopher Heracles,
2:24.9	not Hercules, by the way, if there's any confusion there, Hierocles, I'll say instead,
2:29.8	in the second century CE, is to illustrate those things which are ours to be concerned with.
	...

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