Recently, my friend Jim Owens invited me on his mental health podcast, “Headroom.” We talked for about an hour about the intersection of philosophy and mental health, specifically in light of the moral thought of Aristotle.

I hope you give the two episodes, embedded below, a listen.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Giles, a political science professor at LCC, delves into the intersection of philosophy and political science, with a focus on political theory, which he studied extensively in graduate school. His passion for the humanities stems from a deep interest in what it means to live as a good human being.

This thought-provoking conversation explores Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, a foundational work that examines what it takes to live a happy, virtuous, and flourishing life. They also touch on Positive Psychology, a contemporary movement in counseling and psychology that draws inspiration from ancient Greek philosophy. In this first installment, they lay the groundwork by discussing how philosophers throughout history have guided people toward lasting happiness and personal development.

In part two of this episode, Jim and Michael move from talking about the need to pursue a virtuous life, to talking about specific virtues philosophers and psychologists have proposed as necessary for the good life. Aristotle would submit that while living a virtuous life does not necessarily promise a happy life, but living without virtue does promise living an unhappy one. They explore some of the neuroscience of developing the ability to make healthy behaviors a positive and enduring habit, and conclude by discussing what Aristotle mean when he wrote about defining the great-souled person as one who neither overestimates or underestimates one’s potential to do, be and receive greatness.