The Ancient Philosophy Podcast

26. Marcus Aurelius' Meditations

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I discuss Marcus Aurelius' life and his Meditations.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

25. Ecclesiastes

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about Ecclesiastes, an important and philosophically rich text in the Hebrew Bible.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

24. Aristotle on the Soul

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about what Aristotle thought the soul was.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

23. Plato's Marriage-Lottery System

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about the complicated and weird marriage-lottery system that Plato developed in the Republic.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

22. Socrates' Last Words

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about different interpretations of Socrates' last words in Plato's Phaedo.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

21. Aristotle's Four Causes

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about one of Aristotle's most famous philosophical ideas: the Four Causes.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

20. The Sacred Disease

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about the sacred disease in antiquity.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

19. Stoicism and the Great Conflagration

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about the great conflagration that will one day consume the cosmos, according to the ancient Stoic philosophers.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

18. The Confucian Tao

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about the tao in ancient Confucian philosophy.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

17. Anaximander Thought that Humans Used to be Born Inside Fish

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I talk about Anaximander's unusual account of human origins: we used to be born inside fish.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

16. Was Timaeus a Real Person?

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I discuss whether Timaeus, who appears in Plato's Timaeus and Critias, was a real person.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

15. Cecilia Li: Rhetoric and Ruling in Plato's Gorgias

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Cecilia Li about Plato's criticisms of rhetoric as it was practiced in the 5th century BC. We also discuss the nature of political rule, and our discussion focuses on the Gorgias, although we bring up the Republic, Statesman, and Apology occasionally, too.

Host: Doug Campbell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

Interviewee: Cecilia Li, Assistant Professor at Huron University.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and wherever else you find podcasts. There is a YouTube channel available with video episodes.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

14. Human Dissection and Vivisection in Antiquity

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I talk about the practice of human dissection (and even vivisection) in antiquity.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

13. The Wandering Womb

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I talk about an important idea in ancient biology: the wandering womb.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

12. Plato on Exercise

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I talk about Plato's views of exercise in the Timaeus.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

11. Plato's Real Name

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I discuss this question: was 'Plato' Plato's real name?

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

10. Jacob Stump: The Stoic View of Emotions (and Its Flaws)

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Jacob Stump about the Stoic view of emotions. We spend the second half of the interview discussing some objections to and problems with the Stoic view.

Host: Doug Campbell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

Interviewee: Jacob Stump, Associate Teaching Professor in the Philosophy Department at Northeastern University.

Check out Jacob's awesome and insightful Substack here: jacobstump.substack.com

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and wherever else you find podcasts. There is a YouTube channel available with video episodes.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

9. Why the Greeks Avoided Human Dissection

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0500

This episode is about the (very) deep-seated tendency of ancient Greek intellectuals to avoid human dissection. While there was an exception to this tendency in the early Hellenistic period (which I shall discuss in a later episode), the avoidance of human dissection is almost total and universal throughout antiquity, and I cover the most important reasons why this was so.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

8. The Philosophy of Ancient Astrology: How Did It Work?

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0500

This episode is about ancient astrology, especially the form defended by Ptolemy in the Tetrabiblos.

Host: Doug Campbell, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

7. Plato's Allegory of the Cave

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0500

This episode is about Plato's allegory of the cave from the seventh book of the Republic.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

6. The Buddha's Controller Argument for No-Self

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0500

This episode is about a complicated Buddhist argument for the theory of no-self.

The particular argument I explore is called the controller argument.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc.), as well as on YouTube.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

5. The Use of Dreams to Diagnose Patients

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0500

This episode is about the way that ancient Greek intellectuals believed that dreams were sometimes reliable sources of information about what was going on in the body. I focus on On Regimen IV in particular, an anonymous medical text from the 5th century BC.

Host: Doug Campbell, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast, too.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

4. Aristotle on Character and Intellectual Virtues

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0500

This episode is about a crucial distinction that Aristotle draws between intellectual and character virtues in the Nicomachean Ethics.

Host: I am Doug Campbell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast, too.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

3. Rachel O'Keefe: Plotinus' Metaphysics

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0500

In this episode, I speak with Rachel O'Keefe about Plotinus' metaphysical system, especially the view of the hypostases that he develops in Enneads V.1. We begin the episode by discussing who Plotinus was.

Host: Doug Campbell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

Interviewee: Rachel O'Keefe, who teaches and works at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast. There is a YouTube channel available with video episodes.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

2. How Galileo Used the Telescope to Refute Aristotle and Ptolemy

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:45:19 -0500

This episode is about how Galileo used the then-recent invention of the telescope to refute ancient and long-standing views about the cosmos. In the process, he got in trouble with the Vatican.

Host: Doug Campbell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast wherever you download podcasts. There is a YouTube channel available with video episodes.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

1. The Stoic Conception of Philosophy

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:45:07 -0500

This episode is about what the Stoics thought philosophy was.

Host: Doug Campbell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Alma College.

You can subscribe to The Ancient Philosophy Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast. There is a YouTube channel available with video episodes.

I have a Substack: platosfishtrap.substack.com.

You can show your support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ancientphilosophy

I also have a book available for purchase, An Introduction to the Ethics of Social Media: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Ethics-Social-Media/dp/1647922356/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1