How can Stoicism Help Kids?

From The Stoic Question: Philosophy and Psychology by Donald J. Robertson

April 30, 2026 · 55 min

About this episode

The episode discusses how Stoicism can benefit children through philosophy, featuring insights from Claudia Mills.

In this episode, I chat with Claudia Mills, an emerita professor of philosophy and award-winning author of more than sixty books for young readers. Her new novel, Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom , is about a difficult young student who joins a philosophy club seeking the wisdom she needs to keep her beloved but equally difficult dog. Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Highlights * To what extent do you think children can benefit from learning about ancient philosophy? * Do you think there are any ways in which children have an advantage over adults when it comes to learning about Greek philosophy? * How can parents help their children to learn about and benefit from philosophy? * What is wisdom? * What drew you to Epictetus in particular for this story? * What about Socrates and Plato ? * What are the problems faced by Calliope, and how does philosophy help her? * In what ways do you think children could potentially benefit from ancient philosophy in terms of their psychological well being ? Links * Goodreads profile * Calliope Callisto…

People in this episode

Host: Donald J. Robertson

Guest: Claudia Mills

Topics covered

Stoicism
children's philosophy
psychological well-being
education
wisdom

Keywords

Stoicism
children
philosophy
wisdom
psychological well-being
Epictetus
Socrates
Plato

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom