Brian McNeil - On the Good Life and the Classical World (#359, 9 Apr. 2026)

In this episode, Rockne Cole sits down with Brian McNeil, a former Classics and History scholar who taught Western Civilization from Sumeria to Vietnam, Latin, Roman Civilization, and Rhetoric. Brian shares his personal academic journey — from his MA to his PhD work in Classics at the University of Iowa — and how that path led him to intellectual history and the heart of ancient philosophy.The conversation traces the direct lineage of Virtue Ethics from Aristotle through the raw rebellion of the ancient Cynics to the practical wisdom of Stoicism, culminating in the timeless writings of Marcus Aurelius. Brian explains why Virtue Ethics remains so powerful today: it is a “buck stops here” philosophy that focuses solely on what you can control — yourself — and pursues eudaimonia, a deep sense of peace with yourself and the world around you.They also discuss the book that introduced many modern listeners to Stoicism, William B. Irvine’s A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, and reflect on Tacitus’ haunting line: “To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace.” A thoughtful, personal, and deeply grounded exploration of how ancient wisdom can help us live better today.