Today you’ll be hearing from Michael Tremblay. Michael completed his BA and MA in philosophy at Carleton University in Ottawa before coming to Queen’s University for his PhD in Philosophy. He wrote his Master’s thesis on Stoicism, focusing on the moral psychology of Epictetus, and how it relates to the moral progress of a Stoic in training.

Moving forward in his PhD, Michael is interested in addressing questions about the nature of virtue, moral education, and moral progress in ancient ethics. Outside of philosophy, he is an avid competitor in different martial arts, holding a black-belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He also wrestles for Queen’s University.

We spoke about Michael’s family’s history in BJJ. As you’ll learn, BJJ is more or less the family business for Michael, his father, and his sister. He started training at a young age, which makes him an interesting person to interview about the formative effects of the martial arts, to say nothing of how his martial arts practice intersects with his philosophical study.

Along these lines, Michael took us through the major contours of Stoic philosophy, and on a very brief crash course in the Hellenistic context out of which it emerged. We talked about the role that emotions play in Stoicism, while also discussing other central Stoic concepts related to choice, the virtuous life, and the dichotomy of control.

Once we had these pieces on the table, I was able to ask Michael about how BJJ and philosophy interact with and transform one another, giving Michael the opportunity to share with us the different ways he incorporates BJJ into Stoicism, Stoicism into BJJ, and how both combine to transform his approach to living a good life.

Check out Michael's essay on Stoicism and BJJ here.