Are you part of the growing stoicism movement? Built on virtue, reason, and self-control, the ancient Roman philosophy is gaining popularity in a world that just seems to get crazier and crazier.
My guest today is a self-described stoic. Robert Rosenkranz is the author of The Stoic Capitalist: Advice for the Exceptionally Ambitious, which takes a deep dive into how stoic principles can lead to personal, financial, and social success. Rosenkranz charts his path from a small, cramped family apartment in 1950s New York City to becoming a billionaire (!) deal-maker and founder of Open To Debate, a nonprofit that hosts nationally broadcasted debates about the toughest issues of the day. Fwiw, I’ve appeared in several Open To Debate programs over the years, and will be moderating a panel for the group featuring Glenn Greenwald, Nadine Strossen, and Brandi Kruse at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival on May 31 in Seattle (come out if you can!).
The Stoic Capitalist is an affecting memoir filled with snippets of philosophy from the likes of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius. It illustrates the power of rational thinking and purposeful action in all parts of life—and it also talks a hell of a lot about the value and function of emotions, too, in really interesting ways. I talk with Rosenkranz about his political journey from a New Frontier liberal to more of a libertarian-leaning Reagan Republican to a philanthropist deeply committed to promoting intense but civil debate.
We also talk about how the creative destruction that undergirds capitalism displaces people not just economically but culturally—and how to make it easier for people to adapt to the unending change that is necessary for improvements in living standards.
This interview was recorded at a live event in New York City. Come to the next one(s) if you can:
Rise Above: Nick Gillespie and Scott Barry Kaufman in Conversation, May 19
Reason Speakeasy: Nick Gillespie and Susannah Cahalan on The Acid Queen, June 3
Reason Versus debate in Washington, D.C.: Jacob Sullum and Billy Binion vs. Charles Fain Lehman and Rafael Mangual, June 24
Here are the topics we cover.
Scroll further down to watch or listen via YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
0:00—Introduction
1:48—Rosenkranz's new book: The Stoic Capitalist
5:00—Threats to the American experiment
8:23—Rosenkranz's upbringing and secular Jewish identity
14:22—Finding inspiration from Joseph Kennedy Sr., Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca
17:30—Rosenkranz's political evolution
24:35—What killed American optimism?
29:51—How taking huge risks reaped Rosenkranz huge rewards
32:17—Rosenkranz's business philosophy
34:51—The best argument for capitalism today
39:17—Open To Debate and stoic dialectic
43:10—Organ markets and life extension experiments
49:50—The stoic view on death
Video Editor: Ian Keyser
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