Physical Training from the Ancient Philosophers
A New YouTube course from the Athletic Philsopher
A new adventure
I miss my old days lecturing as a prof.
The fun of putting together information in a precise way for a presentation, thinking about discussion prompts, crafting assignments to challenge the students, and letting my intellectual creativity soar.
So I’m bringing it back with a brand new set of free video courses I’m launching on my YouTube channel.
The first course drops this week.
I’ve titled it “Physical Training from the Ancient Philosophers.”
There are 5 lectures that cover the main ideas from the 3 Golden Age philosohpers from Classical Greece: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Reach Out
The best part about putting out courses this way is the direct contact I can have with you as you work your way through each lecture.
At the end of each presentation, I’ve included a short reflection activity to help prime your mind and get you thinking about how the ancient wisdom connects with your life.
I don’t just want you to keep those answers to yourself (unless that’s your preference of course). This is a course and I’m the teacher, I want to help guide you and discuss your answers and how to make the applicable and real in your life.
There’s information on each video on how to get in contact with me with your answers, but you beautiful people reading this have ANOTHER way to get in contact with me.
Use this Direct Messaging Button and let’s go over those answers lecture by lecture.
Below you’ll find the links to each lecture as they premiere each day this week (12pm EST drops) as well as a brief description of each.
The Lecture Series
#1: Introduction (Premiere July 22, 2024 12PM EST)
This lecture introduces the series, the philosophers, their one golden nuggest of wisom on athletic training, and how it relates to a core philosophic idea known as embodiment.
It’s the perfect starting place to understand why athletics are valuable in self-development and how the rest of the lecutres will unfold.
Includes a simple reflection activity to prime your thinking for the following lectures.
#2: Socrates and Dialogue (Premiere July 23, 2024 12PM EST)
This lecture introduces the idea of 'the socratic method' as an ideal of honest exchange that gives sport a powerful moral quality.
When we submit to an atheltic contest we engage in a dialouge of truth between ourselves and our opponent. The results of the contest give us tangible information that's honest and helps us better understand our strengths and weaknesses.
This provides a powerful foundation for an embodied conception and how subjecting the body to honesty in sport helps us better find the courage in mind and spirit to live by the truth.
The lecture ends with a simple reflection exercise that asks for your experiences with this type of 'exchange' in sport.
#3: Plato and Beauty (Premiere July 24, 2024 12PM EST)
This lecture introduces the importance of beauty as it relates to goodness, truth, and individual potential.
Plato instructs us to use physical training as moral training. The importance of beauty relates to the meaning and experience of sports, the disciplining of the mind, and the exultation of the spirit.
We need to harness the importance of aesthetics, loving how we move, and finding inspiration in the determination to acheive and excel in sports to provide us with a powerful moral framing of our pursuits in training and athletic competition.
The lecture ends with a simple reflection exercise asking you to consider the importance of beauty, taste, and preference in your experiences in sport.
#4: Aristotle and Virtue (Premiere July 25, 2026 12PM EST)
This lecture introduces the generation of 'virtue' or positive character traits that result directly from athletic training.
When we aim at the nature of an activity with internal motivation and connect it to our greatest potential we unlock the moral quality of that activity. For sports, that means aiming then directly at our spirits.
Aristotle teaches us to empower the spirit and mind, through submitting the body to training that lights our souls on fire from passion and determination.
The lecture ends with a simple reflection exercise that asks for to consider the different types of motivations and also the important virtues you've gained through athletic training.
#5 You Apply Now (Premiere July 26, 2024 12PM EST)
The lectures briefly summarizes the key points of the Ancient Philosophers and provides 3 major takeway lessons.
Each of the lessons is a mindset frame that comes with practical application. Taken together, the provide a foundation to begin building your fitness and athletic training upon.
The final reflection activity is a way for to being applying the general lessons to your specific context. I also provide lots of advice on the actions you can start doing today to help you incorporate this ancient wisdom into your modern life.
I hope you enjoy these lectures.
Share them widely.
Watch them intently.
Contact me to get the most out of them.
Happy learning and I wish you beautiful movement!