Michael Tremblay is a PhD candidate in philosophy at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. He works on Ancient Greek philosophy. Currently he is interested in Ancient Greek philosophy as a way of life, and the Stoicism of Epictetus.
What excites you about philosophy?
There is so much I love about philosophy! But what excites me the most is how philosophy encourages us to examine and explore our core assumptions about the nature of the world. A philosopher gets to spend time thinking about the nature of truth, or how to best live, or what constitutes personal identity. In other words, philosophy asks you to live an examined life, and for me that is such a fulfilling way to live.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on Stoicism. Specifically I am looking at the Stoic Epictetus, and trying to better understand his program of moral education. I am particularly interested in how ancient philosophers thought we should train and study in order to cultivate virtue and cure ourselves of suffering. With the current rise in popularity of Stoicism, it seems people are starting to realize that the advice philosophers like Epictetus provided, although thousands of years old, can still be very helpful today.
What do you like to do outside work?
Beyond philosophy I am an avid practitioner of martial arts. I am a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (which I compare to Stoicism here: https://tremblaymichael.com/2019/02/04/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-and-stoicism/), and am on the varsity wrestling team at Queen’s University. Martial arts and Ancient philosophy are incredibly analogous. They are both about becoming a better person and cultivating a healthier disposition. The only difference is that philosophy attempts to do change improve the individual through arguments and reasoning, and martial arts uses physical training.
Which books have changed your life? In what ways?
The book that changed my life the most has to be Epictetus’ Discourses. Epictetus was a first century teacher of Stoicism, and a former slave. The Discoursesare a series of discussions he has with his students as he attempts to make them better Stoics. It was the book which made me fall fully in love with philosophy.
It changed my life in two main ways. First, it articulated for me many intuitions I had about the world but was not able to articulate. Epictetus really encourages his students to shift their focus in any given situation away from external problems, and onto what they can do to solve these problems. This lesson, among many others contained in the work, had an immediate effect on the way I interacted with the world. Second, Epictetus is really motivating! He does not just explain Stoicism. He also gets you interested in putting down the book and challenging yourself beyond the classroom. This emphasis on applying philosophy outside of my studies has stayed with me ever since.
What’s your favorite quote?
Right now I am very partial to this quote by Marcus Aurelius, an emperor of Rome who also practiced Stoicism:
“If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.” (VI: 21, Trans. Hays)
For me this embodies the spirit of philosophy. Philosophy is after the truth, no matter what the truth turns out to be. I suspect the best philosophy is done when this is kept in mind.
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Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
