Chatter: Stoicism and the Military with Prof. Nancy Sherman

The Lawfare Podcast

Stoicism is having a moment.The ancient philosophy--which posits that you can’t control events, but you can control how you respond to them--has lately been embraced by self-help gurus and tech bros. But Nancy Sherman writes that the tenets of Stoicism have long found a receptive audience in “the military mind.” Whether they know it or not, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are guided by many of the principles espoused by Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.

Sherman, a professor at Georgetown University, is the author of several books, including Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy behind the Military Mind. She spoke with Shane Harris about why Stoic virtues resonate with those who serve in uniform and what the philosophy can teach everyone about how to live well amid uncertainty and struggle.

Books and people discussed in this episode include:

“Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy behind the Military Mind” by Nancy Sherman https://global.oup.com/academic/product/stoic-warriors-9780195315912?cc=us&lang=en&

Cicero https://iep.utm.edu/cicero-roman-philosopher/

Marcus Aurelius https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marcus-aurelius/

Epictetus https://iep.utm.edu/epictetu/

Seneca’s “De Beneficiis” https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3794/3794-h/3794-h.htm

James Stockdale https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/2097870/medal-of-honor-monday-navy-vice-adm-james-stockdale/

Thomas Gibbons-Neff https://www.nytimes.com/by/thomas-gibbons-neff

Ian Fishback https://www.npr.org/2023/08/09/1192996954/ian-fishback-who-blew-the-whistle-on-torture-by-the-u-s-military-was-laid-to-res

Hugh Thompson https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-wiener-my-lai-hugh-thompson-20180316-story.html

Edward Villella https://sab.org/scenes/sab-trailblazer-edward-villella/

More about Nancy Sherman https://www.nancysherman.com/

Chatter is a production of Lawfare and Goat Rodeo. This episode was produced and edited by Isabelle Kerby-McGowan and Megan Nadolski of Goat Rodeo. Podcast theme by David Priess, featuring music created using Groovepad.

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