Philosophy

Anton Jäger

Ezra Klein speaks with historian Anton Jäger about "hyperpolitics," the term from Jäger's book "Hyperpolitics: Extreme Politicization Without Political Consequences." Jäger argues that the last decade's political volatility — movements like Trumpism and wokeness saturating the culture and then evaporating or generating backlash — is best understood as extreme engagement disconnected from durable institutions. Even with high voter turnout and mass protests, institutional trust is low and institutional relationships have decayed. The conversation examines how this condition emerged and what it would take to create lasting political change.

Jon Brooks examines the spread of fabricated and misattributed Stoic quotes online, focusing on a famous Marcus Aurelius line that never appeared in the Meditations. He reflects on his own mistake of sharing such a quote. The episode argues that Stoicism—a philosophy built on checking impressions—must be taught with that same rigor.

A brief message from Ryan Holiday marking Labor Day weekend—a reflection on the fast passing of time—followed by announcements and ads for Stoic resources. No philosophical discussion or ideas are presented.

In this short Daily Stoic episode, Ryan Holiday argues that travel is essential rather than exotic or frivolous, and that Stoicism should not be used as an excuse to avoid it. He suggests that venturing out into the world, encountering new people and experiences, is a vital part of living a full and virtuous life. The episode challenges listeners to examine whether they’re twisting philosophy to justify staying in their comfort zone.

Codie Sanchez

Entrepreneur and investor Codie Sanchez lays out how to build a business that can operate without you. She argues that the biggest lie about getting rich is that a high salary is the path to wealth; true wealth comes from owning assets and systems. The conversation covers the evolution every business owner must go through, why stepping back is more powerful than diving in more, how to relinquish control and trust staff, the realistic role of AI in small businesses, and practical strategies for finding and hiring great employees.

Yangwen Zheng, Rana Mitter, Ronald Po

Misha Glenny selects this 2024 episode from the In Our Time archive, in which Yangwen Zheng, Rana Mitter, and Ronald Po discuss Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi rose from low-ranking concubine to the most powerful figure in the late Qing court, ruling for nearly fifty years first through her young son and then through another child emperor. Her reign coincided with repeated humiliations of China by Western powers and Japan, and she faced the challenge of modernizing the empire. While she had opportunities to drive reforms, Cixi often obstructed or delayed them when they threatened the Qing dynasty or her own interests. She has been personally blamed for many of China’s setbacks, though historians debate how much responsibility was truly hers.

Michael Moritz

Michael Moritz, former journalist and Sequoia partner, talks with Tyler about his varied life. They explore his childhood in Wales, his journey from history major to venture capitalist, and the role of unsatisfied curiosity in a life well-lived. Moritz reflects on exile, returning to Germany, and the dynamics of parenting and memory. He also shares lessons from supporting the Booker Prize, improving nonprofit governance, and controlling his own calendar after a cancer diagnosis. The conversation covers art, literature, and why broad curiosity may be undervalued.

Ryan Holiday shares seven books that help develop skills AI cannot easily replicate. Drawing from Stoic themes, he argues that reading widely across history, strategy, and philosophy builds uniquely human capabilities: judgment, strategic thinking, and critical reasoning. The episode frames reading as a form of mental training that sharpens the mind against automation.

Rick Rubin

Ezra Klein revisits his 2023 conversation with legendary music producer Rick Rubin about his book "The Creative Act: A Way of Being." Rather than recounting studio stories, Rubin offers a spiritual guide to cultivating the receptive mind states that allow real creativity to emerge. The discussion explores how to open yourself to the world, learn to trust your own taste, and resist the forces that fragment attention—a message that feels even more urgent in an era of AI-generated content.

Mark Kelly

Ryan Holiday expands on the Stoic concept of taking a broader perspective, arguing that stepping back from immediate frustrations reveals how small and temporary most problems truly are, a view powerfully reinforced by astronauts who have seen Earth from orbit. The episode references a longer conversation with Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly, who describes the perspective shift of viewing the planet from space. The core idea is that intentionally adopting a wider view—whether literal, temporal, or philosophical—can dissolve the emotional charge of daily conflicts and anxieties.

James Kirchick

Sam Harris speaks with journalist James Kirchick about the growing influence of the far left on Democratic Party politics. They discuss Kirchick's article 'The DSA Is a Parasite,' focusing on the Democratic Socialists of America's platform, foreign policy positions, and the strategy of entryism—running candidates as Democrats while holding fundamentally anti-Democratic views. The conversation covers the alliance between Islamists and the far left, the ideology of Third Worldism, and the candidacy of Zohran Mamdani, as well as broader issues of antisemitism on the left, polling on political violence, and Kirchick's departure from The New York Times.

Jim Al-Khalili

Jim Al-Khalili joins Sean Carroll to explore the nature of time, from its fundamental status in physics to its arrow pointing from past to future. They discuss how time connects to open questions in biology, cosmology, and quantum mechanics. Al-Khalili shares insights from his new book, "On Time: The Physics that Makes the Universe Tick," probing what time means at the most basic level.

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian who lost family and his hearing to Israeli bombs, argues that Palestinians must take responsibility for their own suffering and for peace. He describes how many Gazans have turned against Hamas for its oppression and enrichment, and calls for a demilitarized Gaza governed by nonpartisan technocrats. Alkhatib urges a Palestinian identity rooted in aspiration rather than opposition, and proposes a 'Great Reset' of 100 days without violence to begin direct dialogue. Host Russ Roberts expresses skepticism about Hamas disarming but shares the hope for peaceful coexistence.

Ryan Holiday reflects on how humanity, since Prometheus, has developed technology to free us from backbreaking labor, yet we often squander that freedom on trivial pursuits. He argues that a strong soul — cultivated through Stoic practice and virtuous action — is better than good luck, because external fortune is fleeting while inner character endures. The episode challenges listeners to use their freedom intentionally rather than wasting it on distractions.

In this short compilation episode, Ryan Holiday shares 45 of his favorite quotes from Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, a classic Stoic text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization, and strength. The episode serves as a concentrated introduction to the Roman emperor's private philosophical reflections.

Stephen West explores Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five, focusing on its philosophical themes. The episode examines how war stories often distort the reality of war, how trauma can fracture a person's sense of time and identity, and why Billy Pilgrim becomes attracted to the fatalistic philosophy of the Tralfamadorians. It's a discussion about the ways we process horror and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Jimmy Carr, George Mack, Harry Dry

Chris Williamson is joined by Jimmy Carr, George Mack, and Harry Dry for the fifth Rabbit Hole experiment—a free‑ranging conversation that bounces from a real‑life Mexican Batman to the economics of the British pound, Victorian slang, the craft of comedy writing, the transactional nature of relationships, and whether smartphones have stolen our ability to be bored. The panel also ponders a Jimmy Carr prime‑ministerial run, the upside of being cancelled, why Americans are more optimistic than Brits, and how GLP‑1 drugs are rendering gastric band surgery obsolete.

Robin Wigglesworth

Ezra Klein talks with Robin Wigglesworth of the Financial Times about the recent rise in U.S. Treasury yields and its implications. Wigglesworth explains why yields have been climbing to levels not seen consistently since before the Great Recession, and why that matters, given the Treasury market's role as the bedrock of the global economy. The conversation covers the Trump administration's erratic and ultimately futile efforts to push yields down, and explores what continuing high yields would mean for mortgages, consumer credit, the stock market, and the broader economy.

Richard Corfield, Joe Cann, Lynne Frostick

In this archive edition of In Our Time, Misha Glenny revisits a January 2008 discussion on plate tectonics, the revolutionary theory that the Earth's outer shell is divided into moving plates. Richard Corfield, Joe Cann, and Lynne Frostick explain how this idea solved long-standing geological puzzles—from the matching shapes of Africa and South America to the distribution of fossils across oceans—and revealed a planet in constant, slow motion where continents drift, mountains rise, and ocean basins widen. The conversation highlights how plate tectonics reshaped our understanding of earthquakes, volcanoes, and the dynamic relationship between the Earth's interior and its surface.

In this episode, Ryan Holiday emphasizes that wisdom is not intuitive and requires hard work and a skilled guide to grasp. He argues that having a teacher helps accelerate the learning process and avoid misinterpretation. The episode then explores nine foundational Stoic principles, providing listeners with a clear framework for applying Stoicism to daily life.

David Heinemeier Hansson

DHH returns to the Lex Fridman Podcast to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of software development in the age of AI. The conversation covers the distinction between 'vibe coding' and 'agentic engineering,' the potential end of manual programming, and the impact AI will have on open source. DHH also shares his journey building the Omarchy Linux distribution, offers advice for programmers, and reflects on the future of the desktop, internet hate, fatherhood, and the philosophical implications of eternal recurrence.

Rich Roll & Ryan Holiday

This episode of The Daily Stoic features a conversation between Rich Roll and Ryan Holiday about the moral questions at the heart of The Odyssey. They explore what makes a good leader, when deception is justified, and what happens when ego takes over. The discussion draws on a poem that has posed these questions for thousands of years. The conversation originally aired on The Rich Roll Podcast.

Hunter Biden, Matt McCusker, Duncan Trussell

The second Mostly Wise episode brings Hunter Biden together with comedians Matt McCusker and Duncan Trussell for a wide-ranging conversation that mixes politics, conspiracy theories, and personal disclosure. Hunter Biden gives his account of the leaked laptop story and discusses addiction, shame, and what has helped him stay sober. The group also explores presidential power, Joe Biden's fitness for office, the Democratic Party's next two years, and various strange scenarios involving the White House and the Trump family. The tone moves between absurd hypotheticals, speculative conspiracy talk, and candid recovery material.

Judith Hawley, Markman Ellis, Jonathan Morris

Misha Glenny revisits an In Our Time programme first released in December 2019 on the history and social impact of coffee. With Judith Hawley, Markman Ellis, and Jonathan Morris, the discussion traces coffee from its origins in Ethiopia through the Ottoman Empire to Western Europe. It examines how 17th-century coffee houses kept patrons awake and animated, helped spread ideas and influenced culture, and how coffee became a colonial product grown by slaves or indentured labour. The programme also covers the shift from arabica to robusta, Dutch and French trade, and Brazil's rise as a major producer serving the United States in the 19th century.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of the greatest fighters of all time, retired from the UFC undefeated with a perfect 29-0 record. The conversation was conducted entirely in Russian and is presented in English through a carefully dubbed translation using voice-cloning. It spans Dagestan, MMA, UFC, Islam, Conor, Fedor, and football, beginning with a discussion of why Dagestan produces so many great fighters.

Ezra Klein

Executive producer Claire Gordon joins Ezra Klein in the studio to field listener questions. Topics range from Klein's evolving views on “woke” issues and the polarized response to his Chris Rufo interview, to his analysis of the Democratic Socialists of America insurgency. The episode also includes lighter moments: Klein recounts his first singing lesson and the bizarre rumor that he belongs to a “secret society” with Peter Thiel.

Kyle Carpenter

Ryan Holiday opens with a reflection on how Epictetus changed Marcus Aurelius’s life and how his work has changed Ryan's own life, framing the episode as an invitation for listeners to let Stoicism change theirs. He then introduces Kyle Carpenter, the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, who found guidance in a particular Epictetus lesson that he carries into his most difficult moments. The episode ties ancient wisdom to real-world courage, showing that Stoicism is not abstract but profoundly practical. It also includes a promotion for Holiday's new guide on reading Epictetus, which aims to make the philosopher's teachings actionable.

Macken Murphy, Steve Stewart-Williams, Rob Henderson

Chris Williamson hosts evolutionary biologist Macken Murphy, evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams, and psychologist Rob Henderson for a roundtable on modern dating myths. They challenge claims about hypergamy, male attractiveness skew, and the fading of female desire, using evolutionary theory and research data. The discussion tackles when the 'ick' is a signal versus superficial noise, whether marriage is a better deal for men, and what dating app behavior truly reveals about human mating psychology. The panelists bring separate areas of expertise to debunk popular misconceptions and ground dating advice in science.

Janet Todd, Ros Ballaster, Claire Bowditch

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aphra Behn, the first professional woman writer in English. They explore how she made her living as a playwright, poet and novelist in Restoration England, her probable time in Surinam which inspired her novel Oroonoko, her undercover work as a spy for Charles II, and her loyalty to the Stuart kings. The conversation also examines why her reputation collapsed for two centuries after her death when her work was judged too bawdy, until writers like Virginia Woolf celebrated her as the woman who earned others the right to speak their minds.

Julia Ioffe

Julia Ioffe discusses her National Book Award finalist *Motherland*, which reconstructs modern Russian history through the lives of its women. She explores how Soviet policies pushed women into the workforce, medicine, and combat while demanding so little of men that low expectations became self-fulfilling—a dynamic Russia still grapples with. The conversation ranges from Bolshevik feminism and the Soviet turn to prudery to the post-Soviet mating market, the cultural significance of flowers, and why many Russian women see Western feminism as misguided. Ioffe also examines how gender attitudes and autocracy reinforce each other, and why a few Russian names still dominate the country.

In this bonus episode, Ryan Holiday explores the strangest reasons books have been banned throughout history. He discusses how censorship often arises from misunderstanding, fear, or attempts to suppress ideas, and why the effort usually backfires. The episode encourages listeners to consider what banned books they might have at home and to share them with the show.

A short Daily Stoic episode exploring key habits that shaped Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic reminder that certain things don't change.

Neal Brennan

In a rare role reversal, Sam Harris is the one answering questions as Neal Brennan interviews him about the experiences that shaped his life and work. The conversation ranges from Harris's childhood—his mother's television career and absent father—to college-era experimentation with MDMA, dropping out of Stanford, and the decade of meditation retreats that followed. Later turns touch on the illusion of self, the limits of pacifism, the pull of spiritual charisma, and Harris's decision to delete Twitter, all woven into a broader reflection on politics, hypocrisy, and the future of American democracy.

Jasmine Sun

Jasmine Sun, who covers AI's internal culture and its growing public opposition, joins Ezra Klein after a reporting trip through the Midwest. They discuss the emerging bipartisan backlash against AI data centers—exemplified by New York's statewide moratorium and over 100 local proposals—and what it signals about AI's real-world political friction. The conversation explores whether the resistance is driven by the physical infrastructure itself or a broader unease with AI, and what tech companies must learn if they hope to maintain their momentum.

Peter Santenello

Independent journalist Peter Santenello shares what he learned about America from traveling to 85 different countries, revealing the unseen struggles of forgotten rural communities. He explores the realities of the drug crisis, the overlooked lessons from Amish life, and the most misunderstood communities in the country. The conversation examines how physical and cultural distance fuels division, and what stories emerge when you actually spend time in these places.

Hussein Aboubakr Mansour

Egyptian-born analyst Hussein Aboubakr Mansour argues that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a self-sustaining system in which various groups benefit from Palestinian suffering. Drawing on his childhood in an Egypt centered on Palestinian liberation, he explains how Arab regimes, NGOs, Western academics, and Gulf states convert victimhood into political and economic capital. He suggests that breaking this cycle requires more than policy — it demands addressing the human need for meaning that the conflict currently fulfills. Mansour reflects on how identity and narrative lock the conflict in place, and why purely rational solutions fall short.

Sean Carroll (host)

In the August 2026 Ask Me Anything episode, Sean Carroll fields questions from Mindscape's Patreon supporters. The conversation spans a variety of topics—as always in these AMAs—touching on physics, philosophy, personal reflections, and the pursuit of understanding the universe.

Suzanne Williams, Liz Harper, Helen Scales

In this episode of In Our Time, Melvyn Bragg and guests Suzanne Williams, Liz Harper, and Helen Scales explore the world of seashells, from their evolution and ecology to their cultural significance. They discuss how the astonishing shapes of shells reveal the history of Earth's oceans, and how humans have treasured them as art, currency, and instruments across millennia.

Gary Gallagher

Historian Gary Gallagher joins Lex Fridman for a sweeping discussion on the American Civil War. The conversation covers the war's fundamental causes, the institution of slavery, the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, the contrasting generalship of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, the persistent myth of the Lost Cause, and whether the conflict could have been avoided.

Sahil Bloom

In this bonus episode, Ryan Holiday sits down with Sahil Bloom, author of The 5 Types of Wealth, to discuss the paradox of success. Bloom explains how achieving everything you once wanted can distort your sense of enough, making you feel like you're still losing. They explore why the easiest things to track—money, status—often matter least, while the hardest-to-measure aspects of life bring true fulfillment. Eventually, the life you once dreamed about can start to feel empty unless you intentionally appreciate what you have.

Ryan Holiday

A brief meditation on the Stoic principle that humans have a fundamental obligation to each other, not to gods or external forces. Ryan Holiday explores what it means to be made for working together as a core Stoic value.

Morris Katz

Morris Katz, senior adviser to failed Senate candidate Graham Platner and strategist behind several populist political upsets, discusses what went wrong in Platner's campaign against Maine Governor Janet Mills—and what his string of victories and defeats reveals about the current political moment. Katz's track record includes Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral victory and John Fetterman's 2022 Senate win, but also Platner's implosion and its consequences for Democratic Senate control.

Rosalind Polly Blakesley, Robert Wenley, Francesca Whitlum-Cooper

Misha Glenny and three art historians examine the life and work of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842), one of the most successful portrait painters of the 18th century. A prodigy who became Marie Antoinette's favored portraitist, Vigée Le Brun faced relentless sexism from critics who refused to believe a woman could paint so skillfully. When the French Revolution forced her to flee France, she rebuilt her career across Europe—Naples, Vienna, St. Petersburg, London—before eventually returning home. Her legacy spans royal courts and major galleries worldwide.

Annie Jacobsen

Annie Jacobsen argues that while nuclear war has long been the ultimate existential threat, a biological attack could be far more insidious, spreading silently and causing chaos without a single explosion. Drawing on declassified intelligence, Soviet bioweapon history, and COVID-19 lessons, she maps the likely first 24 hours of a leak and the rapid descent into anarchy within six days. The conversation examines why bioweapons remain a blind spot for governments and what makes the perfect biological agent. Jacobsen also reveals the Soviet attempt to create a euphoric plague, underscoring the dark creativity of state-run programs.

Jordan Peterson delivers a biblical lecture tracing the final act of the Exodus narrative—from the golden calf to the bronze serpent—and draws out its modern implications. He examines how Moses' striking of the rock marks a catastrophic leadership failure, how Korah's accusation that authority is merely power echoes contemporary cynicism, and how the bronze serpent prefigures the crucifix. The central claim is that voluntarily confronting the source of poison, rather than avoiding it, is the only way to become immune to resentment, chaos, and societal decay. Peterson uses this lens to diagnose a civilization that is forgetting these ancient lessons.

Ryan Holiday reflects on how Stoic philosophy acted as a crucial check on Marcus Aurelius's immense power, preventing him from descending into tyranny. Without that ethical framework, the emperor could have become another Nero or Caligula. The episode also notes that the American Founders understood the importance of such internal and external limits.

Peter Sloterdijk (discussed, not interviewed)

Stephen West explores the first half of Peter Sloterdijk's "You Must Change Your Life," examining Sloterdijk's critique of belief-centered and morality-based views of human change. The episode reframes human nature through anthropology, examining how religious practice and cultural systems function as monastic rules that shape behavior and identity rather than relying on individual moral strength or belief.

Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd, former Australian prime minister and author of "On Xi Jinping," discusses Xi Jinping's ideology, consolidation of power, and vision for China's role in the world. Drawing from decades of personal interaction with Xi and doctoral research on Marxist nationalism, Rudd explains how Xi's background shaped his ambitions for China's industrial dominance and strategic posture toward the United States.

Sean Carroll

Sean Carroll answers Patreon-submitted questions in this July 2026 Ask Me Anything episode. The conversation spans philosophy, physics, ethics, and practical life questions—covering topics like the nature of consciousness, decision-making under uncertainty, the relationship between science and meaning, and advice for navigating complexity in modern life. Carroll's responses emphasize intellectual humility and the importance of rigorous thinking applied to everyday problems.

Elana Miller

Elana Miller, a psychiatrist and writer, reflects on compassionate encounters during a frightening night in her life, exploring how strangers' acts of kindness revealed the power of human connection. She argues that love—not fear or hate—is the organizing principle of human experience, and that recognizing our interconnection fundamentally changes how we see ourselves and others.

Joel Mokyr

Nobel laureate Joel Mokyr joins Tyler to explore how sustained economic growth became normal after millennia of stagnation. Mokyr argues that two conditions made the difference: a scientific understanding of why things work, allowing innovations to compound, and a culture willing to accept the disruptions that progress brings. He contrasts the European model—where guilds, universities, and cities encouraged cooperation among unrelated people—with China's clan-based organization, which provided stability but limited the reach of disruptive innovation. The conversation ranges from the Catholic Church's campaign against cousin-marriage to geography's role in keeping Europe fragmented, and from the rise of German science to why British soldiers were taller than the French.

Ryan Holiday shares a central Epictetus quote — 'First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do' — and promotes the Habits for Success, Habits for Happiness course. The episode asks whether Stoicism is compatible with Christianity, but the discussion is not included in the provided show notes.

Vittorio Angelone

Vittorio Angelone, an Irish comedian and podcaster, discusses how his late autism diagnosis shaped his understanding of himself and his comedy. The conversation spans his experience of being diagnosed with autism as an adult, the challenge of authentic communication, cultural differences in humor between the UK and US, and why male-dominated comedy podcasts appeal to women. Angelone explores the intersection of neurodivergence, Irish identity, and being an only child as sources of his comedic voice.

Bryan Stevenson

On America's 250th anniversary, Bryan Stevenson, civil rights lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, discusses how to love a country amid its profound failures and imperfections. The conversation examines how Americans who were systemically failed still fought to move the country closer to its founding promises, and what it means to hold both America's horror and beauty in tension. Stevenson's museums in Montgomery, Alabama, document the country's history of enslavement, racial violence, and segregation while honoring those who endured and resisted.

In this Daily Stoic episode, Ryan Holiday opens with a reminder that belief in our capacity for change is essential for growth, using the Stoic insight that we are not fixed beings. He challenges listeners to examine self-limiting beliefs and cultivate a practical belief in their potential. The remainder of the episode is dedicated to promoting Holiday's six-week Habits for Success course and his upcoming live tour.

Jenny McElwain, Christopher Berry, Bill Baker

Misha Glenny and three botanists and paleobotanists explore the deep history of trees, from their emergence around 400 million years ago when low-lying plants developed stronger stems and grew upright. The discussion covers how trees transformed the planet by creating ecosystems, altering atmospheric composition, and reshaping the conditions for all life that followed. The episode reveals that even modern plants we cultivate as vegetables or houseplants can evolve into trees under the right conditions.

Ryan Holiday delivers a Daily Stoic meditation on the power of habit. Excellence isn't a single act but a pattern built over time. The episode challenges listeners to see their daily choices as the building blocks of identity.

Chris Rufo

Christopher Rufo, the influential New Right activist and author, discusses his strategy of using 'agitprop' and emotional resonance to drive political change. Ezra Klein presses him on the risks: Rufo now expresses concern that the movement he helped build is drifting into conspiracy theories, racialist thinking, and internal fractures. The conversation turns on whether short-term policy victories against D.E.I. and the administrative state may seed long-term institutional decay.

In this short Daily Stoic episode, Ryan Holiday reflects on how people throughout history, even in modern times, fall into the same timeless psychological traps that Stoic philosophers identified. He also addresses two listener questions: 'Would it really be different?' and 'How do I know if ego is winning?'

Sean Carroll examines why the cosmological constant is a perfectly good explanation for the accelerating universe, but may not be the right one. He explores what it would take to invent a plausible theory of dynamical dark energy, including hurdles from particle physics. The episode covers possible experimental tests that could distinguish a true constant from evolving dark energy, and the alternative approach of modifying gravity instead of adding a new energy source.

Ryan Holiday examines Elon Musk through the four Stoic virtues of courage, discipline, justice, and wisdom. He explores how Musk's life reveals the critical difference between worldly success and genuine moral character. Drawing on the ancient Stoic practice of studying the powerful to learn rather than worship, the episode asks whether Musk measures up to the virtues that matter most. It's a short, philosophical reflection on leadership, wealth, and the true meaning of a good life.

Stephen West discusses Peter Sloterdijk's 'Critique of Cynical Reason,' exploring how modern cynicism functions as a psychological defense mechanism rather than a genuine philosophical stance. The episode examines why cynical individuals are not irrational but reflect a logical adaptation to systemic failures. It also traces how cynicism becomes embedded in institutional language and bureaucratic doublespeak. Finally, it contrasts this passive cynicism with the ancient Cynicism of Diogenes, who actively rejected societal norms through his way of life.

Ezra Klein

Ezra Klein joins Ryan Holiday to discuss the role of virtue, responsibility, and character in democracy. They examine why liberalism has struggled to articulate a language of duty and obligation, and why institutions require honest, self-critical individuals to function. The conversation also turns to Stoicism—what Klein admires, where he thinks it falls short, and why he insists that any philosophy must be tested in the real world.

In this episode, Ryan Holiday examines the Stoic choice to avoid the low road when others wrong us, drawing on Marcus Aurelius as a model of self-mastery who resisted the corrupting pull of absolute power. The discussion centers on how philosophical practice helped Aurelius remain virtuous rather than descend into tyranny like Nero.

Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday offers a personal tour of his office, showcasing the books, objects, and written reminders that shape his daily work and Stoic practice. The episode is a visual walk-through of a carefully curated physical space designed to support focus, creativity, and philosophical reflection. Rather than an interview, it’s an intimate look at how environment and ritual can reinforce values.

A short guided morning practice built around eight lines from Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. The host presents each line in modern English, with pauses for reflection or repetition. The exercise is designed to be spoken aloud or repeated mentally, embedding Stoic wisdom into the start of each day. This episode functions as a practical tool rather than a lecture, suitable for daily use.

Jaron

Sam Harris and co-host Jaron discuss several listener-submitted topics from the Making Sense Community. They touch on the concept of a one-world government, the shifting value of a college degree as AI disrupts careers, and ethical questions around factory farming. The conversation also covers Mahmood Mamdani's DSA-aligned candidates, Trump's handling of the Iran deal, and the story of Tulsi Gabbard's guru.

In this solo episode, Sean Carroll explains the discovery that the universe's expansion is accelerating—the most surprising result of his career. He traces the history of the cosmological constant from Einstein's original introduction through the puzzle of why quantum field theory predicts a disastrously large vacuum energy, to the 'coincidence problem' of why dark energy dominates at the present epoch. This is the first of two connected solo episodes; the next will cover alternative dark energy theories.

Jordan Peterson announces a new weekly lecture series drawn from his extensive tour archive, set to begin this Sunday. He explains that ongoing health issues prevent him from podcasting or public lecturing, making these pre-recorded lectures a way to continue sharing content during his recovery. Peterson notes the series will particularly appeal to fans of his early YouTube work, marking a return to a more focused, lecture-style format. He expresses gratitude for his audience's support and hopes the lectures prove useful and compelling.

Tom Junod

Ryan Holiday reflects on the father-son relationship between Marcus Aurelius and his adoptive father Antoninus Pius, who taught him compassion, humility, and how to wield power without being corrupted. He then interviews ESPN senior writer Tom Junod about his new memoir, which explores masculinity, family secrets, and the lifelong work of consciously choosing which parts of a difficult father to carry forward and which to refuse.

Teresa Bejan, Ted Vallance, Clare Jackson

A deep dive into the Levellers, the radical political movement that emerged during the English Civil War and fought for legal equality, extended voting rights, and religious toleration. Using pamphlets, petitions, and mass demonstrations in their signature sea-green ribbons, the Levellers challenged both the monarchy and Parliament, leaving a legacy that would inspire democratic movements for centuries to come.

Chris Hayes

Chris Hayes joins Ezra to examine how political attention is working in radically new ways during the 2026 election cycle. They discuss how unknowns like Graham Platner and James Talarico dominated major races, why Jon Ossoff's viral videos made him a 2028 frontrunner, and how Spencer Pratt's X presence failed to translate into electoral success. The episode explores what these cases reveal about attention, virality, and the fracturing of political visibility in the age of social media.

Jeff Coller

Jeff Coller, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins and director of the RNA Innovation Center, explains how messenger RNA works at the molecular level and how scientists are harnessing it to develop vaccines and gene therapies. The conversation covers mRNA's central role in protein synthesis, its potential origins in early life, and the revolutionary medical applications emerging from our newfound ability to manipulate genetic instructions.

George Mack

Chris Williamson is joined by writer and entrepreneur George Mack to explore the hidden costs of overthinking. They discuss how excessive analysis can lead to inaction and missed opportunities, the cognitive traps that especially afflict smart people, and the quirks of British versus American culture. The conversation touches on music's effect on personality, why humans need stories, and how to recognize when you're living in an empire's decline.

Matt Duss

Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy and foreign policy adviser to AOC, discusses the Democratic Party's rupture over foreign policy following Trump's departure. The conversation centers on Gaza as a dividing issue within the party, the collapse of the rules-based international order, and what a progressive foreign policy vision might actually look like in practice.

A short reflection from The Daily Stoic on integrity and the good life, drawing on Epicurus' philosophy. The episode warns against compromising your moral character for external gains, emphasizing that a soul lost cannot be recovered.

Most morning affirmations ask you to declare a future you wish for. The Stoics did the opposite. They began the day by recollecting what was already true. This is a short guided practice built from eight lines drawn from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca. No manifestation, no raising your vibration. Just eight reminders, a little silence between each, a brief rehearsal of one difficulty you expect today, and a single quiet plan to carry into it. Best listened to first thing, before you open your phone.

Liam Donovan

Republican strategist Liam Donovan discusses why President Trump appears indifferent to Republican midterm prospects despite historically poor approval ratings. Rather than pivoting toward swing voters or supporting the strongest GOP candidates, Trump has announced a $1.8 billion 'lawfare victims' fund, threatened to escalate the Iran war, and intervened in primaries in ways that benefit Democrats—such as endorsing scandal-plagued Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in Texas. The episode explores Trump's apparent lack of concern for GOP electoral success and the political dynamics reshaping the Republican party.

Don Lincoln

Don Lincoln, a particle physicist at Fermilab, discusses the deepest unsolved mysteries in physics: antimatter, dark energy, and the quest for a theory of everything. The conversation spans from Einstein's relativity to the Higgs boson discovery, exploring how physicists unify the fundamental forces and what remains unknown at the edges of human understanding.

Toby Wilkinson

Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson discusses the Ptolemaic period (300 years after Alexander the Great), exploring how this era transformed Egypt from a divine kingship centered on monuments into a cosmopolitan, commerce-driven empire. Alexandria became the ancient world's intellectual and economic powerhouse, home to unprecedented scientific achievement. The conversation ranges from why the Ptolemaic model failed to match Rome's durability, to Cleopatra's actual historical significance, to what made Ptolemaic Egypt feel oddly modern compared to pharaonic Egypt.

The manosphere has been quoting the Stoics to young men for years, selling a version that glorifies anger as strength, dominance as virtue, and emotion as weakness. This episode counters that distortion by pointing to the actual writings of Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. Marcus Aurelius wrote that gentleness is more manly than rage, while Seneca insisted that grief is natural but must not become endless wailing. True Stoicism advocates emotional mastery through reason, not suppression or aggression.

Ryan Holiday discusses the Stoic idea that service to others is inherently worth doing, even when it feels thankless, exhausting, and costly. Drawing on Stoic philosophy, he emphasizes that the value of service lies in the act itself, not in easy outcomes or recognition.

Lyman Stone, Simone Collins, Stephen J. Shaw

A debate on the catastrophic consequences of falling global birth rates, featuring demographer Lyman Stone, pronatalist advocate Simone Collins, and data scientist Stephen J. Shaw. The conversation covers why birth rates are plummeting, why so many young women are choosing not to have children, the economic and social implications of population decline, and what policies might reverse the trend.

Christian List

Philosopher Christian List argues that free will is real and entirely compatible with a deterministic physical world. By distinguishing between the level of fundamental particles—where laws are mechanistic—and the level of rational human agents—where genuine choices occur—he shows how higher-level emergence resolves a centuries‑old debate. The key is redefining free will as the capacity for intentional, rational action rather than a metaphysical ability to defy physics.

The host reflects on the enduring strength of Stoicism, asserting that it is more widely and deeply practiced today than in ancient times. Modern Stoics—parents, athletes, entrepreneurs, soldiers, and artists—actively apply its principles rather than merely studying them. The episode also alludes to a Stoic protocol for video calls but does not elaborate.

Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan discusses his new book *A World Appears* in a live conversation with Krista Tippett at the W Hotel Union Square, hosted by the Perfect Earth Project. He explores what consciousness might be, drawing from plants, psychedelic research, emerging AI, and spiritual traditions. The conversation considers whether sentience, feeling, thought, or selfhood define consciousness, or if mind is a more fundamental force we participate in. Krista brings her own recent exchanges with Anthropic's Claude into the discussion, probing the boundaries between human and machine awareness.

The host emphasizes that the four Stoic virtues — wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice — are never meant to be pursued in isolation. Instead, they converge under the single concept of virtue itself. A truly good life requires practicing all of them together as an integrated whole, not as separate moral checkboxes.

Bob Spitz

Bob Spitz, biographer of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, and now the Rolling Stones, joins Tyler to discuss his unconventional path into rock biography and his surprising books on Reagan and Julia Child. The conversation covers how the Stones rose so fast, the band’s chemistry, underrated songs, the enigma of Charlie Watts, and the fate of Brian Jones. They also touch on Mick Jagger’s LSE training, why popular music lost its cultural dominance, what remains to ask Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the Beatles’ breakup, Reagan’s senility and communist flirtation, Julia Child’s cooking skills, and Spitz’s next project on John Lennon.

Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, Antonio Villaraigosa

Ezra Klein moderates a forum with five top Democratic candidates for California governor, focusing on the state's housing crisis. Despite dozens of pro-housing laws passed under Governor Newsom since 2019, California's construction rates remain flat and the housing shortage persists. The candidates discuss what they would do differently to address this critical issue.

Alvin Roth

Nobel laureate Alvin Roth discusses his new book 'Moral Economics' and the concept of morally contested markets—transactions that some people find acceptable and others condemn. He explores how societies should reason about markets for sex work, drugs, organs, and adoption, where simple economic arguments for efficiency are insufficient and moral considerations must be weighed.

Julia Belluz

Julia Belluz, a health and science journalist, explores the explosion of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound, which one in eight American adults now use. The episode examines what we know and don't know about these medications, their unexpected uses beyond diabetes, how they're reshaping conversations about beauty standards and wellness, and whether these drugs represent genuine medical progress or a new frontier for pharmaceutical-driven culture.

Michelle Alexander, Lucas Johnson

Krista Tippett reflects on the 59th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Beyond Vietnam" speech at Riverside Church, exploring the moral and spiritual foundations of Dr. King's call for a "revolution of values" beyond civil rights. The episode examines how Dr. King's vision connected war, poverty, and national soul-searching—and what that demand for moral imagination means for us now. Guests Michelle Alexander and Lucas Johnson discuss the enduring work of addressing systemic injustice and the urgent call to broaden our moral imagination beyond the crises that transfix us moment to moment.

Donald Burrows, Ruth Smith, Larry Zazzo

Misha Glenny explores George Frideric Handel's Messiah with three leading scholars. The discussion traces the oratorio's creation in 1742, Charles Jennens's libretto drawn from Old and New Testament prophecies about Christ's coming and redemption, and how Handel continuously adapted the work for different choirs and singers. Messiah became one of Handel's most enduring works, eventually adopted by massed choirs worldwide far beyond Handel's original conception.

In this solo episode, the host of The Stoic Handbook shares a personal breakthrough with chronic anxiety. After years of trying to control a background hum of hypervigilance, they discovered that fighting it only made it worse. The key was a Stoic-Nietzschean reframe: amor fati, the love of fate. By welcoming anxiety instead of resisting it, the grip loosened.

Helena Rosenblatt

Ezra Klein talks to historian Helena Rosenblatt about her book “The Lost History of Liberalism.” Klein argues that liberalism needs a positive, inspiring vision beyond simply opposing Donald Trump. Rosenblatt explains how recovering the lost values and moral commitments at the heart of the liberal tradition — values she uncovered in her research — can provide that vision. Drawing on her deep historical research, she shows that 19th-century liberals were concerned with community, virtue, and the common good, and that remembering this history is essential for liberalism’s revival.

The May 2026 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape, where host Sean Carroll answers questions submitted by Patreon supporters. The questions were curated based on whether Carroll had something interesting to say about them, and sometimes grouped by topic.

Gary Belsky

Gary Belsky and host Russ Roberts discuss how golfing alone transforms the game into a unique experience. Unlike playing with others, solo golf can induce flow, foster physical mastery, and deepen self-awareness. They explore what golf reveals about character and why even non-golfers might appreciate its solo version for the life lessons it offers.

Dean Ball

Russ Roberts and Dean Ball examine a policy dispute between Anthropic and the U.S. Department of War over Claude's deployment in classified military operations. The conversation explores the tension between private companies imposing contractual limits on AI use and government demands for unrestricted access, touching on autonomous weapons, mass surveillance, constitutional erosion, and the risk that powerful AI capabilities may outpace institutional capacity to govern them responsibly.

Kate Hendry, Andrea Sella, Monica Grady

Misha Glenny and three expert guests explore silicon—the element at the heart of modern electronics, glass, and life itself. The episode traces silicon's cosmic origins in dying stars billions of years ago, its role in human technology from ancient glass-making to contemporary semiconductors, and its often-overlooked but critical function in Earth's biogeochemistry, atmospheric regulation, and the cycling of elements that sustains all life.

The Ezra Klein Show

Klein explores the psychological and political barriers to climate action. The technology exists. The economics work. The science is settled. So why can't we act? The answer lies in psychology, politics, and temporal discounting.