As we enter 2026, I wanted to take a step back and reflect on some of the books I read this year, and what they made me rethink about life, meaning, power, consciousness, and society. Check out the chapter names to see books discussed in this video. Let me know in the comments what you’re planning to read in 2026, and whether you have read any of these before.

Was education ever meant to make you employable or fix your career? In the final book of Politics, Aristotle argues that this assumption misunderstands education from the beginning. According to Aristotle, education primarily exists for the sake of leisure, here understood as freedom from necessity and the condition for contemplation. This understanding proposes that a life organized entirely around usefulness and efficiency may function, but it cannot flourish. In this episode, I unpack Aristotle’s most demanding claims about education, virtue, habituation, music, physical training, and the role of the city in shaping character. Aristotle draws sharp distinctions between usefulness and nobility, cleverness and virtue, play and leisure, work and the activities that are worth pursuing for their own sake. There might be some FPS drops in the beginning of the video, which gets better later. This was due to unidentified technical issue during the recording. I apologize for this. However, the audio and the pacing is consistent throughout the episode, so it should not diminish the quality of experience.

Did Aristotle sketch the foundations of something like Universal Basic Income in ancient times? In Book VII of Politics, he argues that no citizen should live in a state of constant labor and necessity, because leisure is the precondition for virtue, philosophy, and judgment. In this episode, I walk through his surprising claims about basic sustenance, land distribution, civic roles, military power, and why a well-designed city must give its citizens the freedom to think, reflect, and flourish. Aristotle connects everything: virtue, happiness, citizenship, leisure, even city walls and cold plunges into one vision of how a society creates excellent human beings. Source for this discussion: Aristotle, Politics, Book VII (Chapters 9–14).

Aristotle never treated philosophy as a luxury or something that you do when you are bored. In Book Seven of Politics, he forces a difficult question: can the philosophical life become a retreat from real action? And if so, what does that say about the lives we choose? What is worth pursuing at the end of the day? And what is ultimately meaning of life? In this episode, I break down Aristotle’s argument that happiness is found in living life according to virtue, and both philosophical / scientific life and active civic life are virtuous. Virtue comes from action and from the choices you make, the habits you build, and the character you sharpen. Thought without action becomes passivity. Action without thought becomes chaos. The good life lies in the tension between them. Aristotle also explores the oldest divide in human life: the active citizen versus the pure thinker.

In this episode, I walk through Book 6 of Aristotle’s Politics, a section where he becomes unusually practical. Here he stops talking about ideal systems and starts asking a simpler question: what actually keeps a community functioning? Why do some forms of shared rule remain stable while others constantly shift? Aristotle looks at freedom, equality, participation, and the habits of everyday life. He studies how farmers, merchants, and workers naturally shape different patterns of governance often without intending to. He examines why different groups see justice differently, how equality gets defined, and why the character of a population matters as much as its laws.

Source of discussion in the video: Aristotle’s Politics, Book VI, Chapters 1–8.

I talked to Dr. Anil Seth, neuroscientist, author of "Being You", and one of the world’s leading thinkers on consciousness, to explore one of the deepest questions in philosophy and science: What does it mean to be aware, and why does it feel like something to be you? Dr. Seth’s work is amazing as it bridges neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence. Just to be clear, the theory of controlled hallucination that Anil advocates doesn't suggest the external world doesn't exist. It simply means our access to it is always filtered through the interpretive and predictive mechanisms of our own brains. Portrait credit: Ramon Haindl / Die Ziet

What did Aristotle really think about monarchy? In this episode, I finish Book V of Aristotle’s Politics, exploring how monarchies rise, fall, and sometimes turn into their opposite. Along the way, we look at Aristotle’s comparisons with democracy, and his practical reflections on power, virtue, and moderation. This discussion is entirely historical and philosophical in nature, focusing on Aristotle’s ideas in their original context. Source of discussion in the video: Aristotle’s Politics, Book V, Chapters 10-12.

I sat down with Dr. Spencer Greenberg, mathematician, entrepreneur, and host of the Clearer Thinking podcast, to explore one of the most fascinating puzzles of human nature: why even the most intelligent minds can fall for irrational beliefs. In this conversation, we discuss: (1) Is intelligence alone to protect us from bias and self-deception? (2) How emotions, heuristics, and evolution shape our irrational choices (3) Is there any cost of being perfectly “rational”? (4) Whether truth-seeking can conflict with happiness or fulfillment (5) How to recognize when you’re playing status games instead of searching for truth (6) Why positive thinking and self-help can sometimes backfire (7) How to train your mind to think more clearly in a world full of noise.

What makes a society lose its moral strength?Did Aristotle already warn us about how virtue slowly fades not through sudden corruption, but through small unnoticed habits that change who we become?In Book V of Aristotle’s Politics, he explores why even the best systems weaken over time, and why preserving balance depends less on power and more on character.

I sat down with Dr. Stephen Hicks, philosopher and author of Explaining Postmodernism, to explore some of the biggest questions in modern thought: what the Enlightenment really changed, how confidence in reason began to crack over time, and why modern philosophy still struggles with truth, meaning, and progress.

What is the source of all conflicts? Aristotle thought that the answer had something to do with human nature itself. In this episode, I talk about Book V of Aristotle's Politics, where Aristotle finally stops describing systems and now also starts dissecting their psychology. He explores how ambition, resentment, and pride drive people toward conflict, and why the rich and poor never agree on what “justice” means.

Source of discussion in the video: Aristotle’s Politics, Book V, Chapters 1–6.

I sat down with Dr. Massimo Pigliucci, philosopher, evolutionary biologist, and one of the most influential voices bringing Stoicism into the modern age. In this episode, we explore timeless ideas that matter more than ever today: Why Stoicism keeps returning in times of crisis? What you actually control, and what you don’t? The biggest misconceptions about Stoicism. How Stoicism compares with Nietzsche, Aristotle, and Christianity? What Stoicism can teach us about living well in chaotic times?

Aristotle links his ethics to politics, arguing that just as virtue is found in the middle, so too is stability in the city.The middle class, the “middling element,” becomes the true stabilizer, citizens who know both how to rule and how to be ruled. From there, Aristotle maps how regimes endure or fall, how incentives like fines and pay shape participation, and how military power cavalry or infantry reshapes constitutions.Finally, he lays out a three-part system of deliberation, offices, and courts, a design that looks strikingly like an early form of checks and balances.

Source of discussion in the video: Aristotle’s Politics, Book IV, Chapters 11–16.

I sat down with Dr. Roman Yampolskiy, a leading voice in AI safety and author of AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable. In this episode, we dive into questions that challenge reality itself: Are we living in a simulation? Can superintelligent AI ever be controlled? What makes humans truly special? Could we one day solve death itself?

Should the wealthy few rule, or the poor majority? Should politics belong to those with leisure, or can every citizen truly take part? In these chapters, Aristotle digs into the messy reality behind democracy, oligarchy, polity, and tyranny.

He shows that oligarchies, like democracies, come in degrees. He insists that politics always returns to one fact: those with leisure have the time to rule, while those busy with survival often step aside. Out of this tension, the mixed constitution of polity emerges, balancing rich and poor, freedom and wealth.

This episode explores how Aristotle moves past theory to confront the lived struggles between the few, the many, and the one.

Aristotle’s Politics, Book IV, Chapters 5–10.

Chapters:

(00:00) The Few, the Many, or the One?

(02:23) Four Faces of Oligarchy

(03:33) When Regimes Wear Masks

(06:31) Politics Requires Leisure

(11:30) Soft, Strong and Extreme Oligarchies

(14:48) Aristocracy vs Polity: Virtue or Balance?

(19:08) Defining Polity

(24:43) The Emergence of Polity

(28:57) Aristotle's Political Realism

Is politics about ideals, or about what actually works? Aristotle shifts from dreaming about the perfect city to wrestling with the messy reality of real regimes.

Instead of chasing one utopia, he asks sharper questions: what is the best regime most cities can actually attain? Should we measure politics by ideals of justice and virtue, or by what circumstances allow? And who shapes whom do laws make constitutions, or do constitutions give birth to laws?

This episode dives into that pivot: from ideals to practice, from perfect blueprints to the lived struggle of real constitutions.

Aristotle’s Politics, Book IV, Chapters 1–4.

Chapters:

(00:00) The Question That Won’t Die

(04:52) Balancing Idealism with Reality

(07:13) Who Shapes Who: Laws or Regimes?

(10:05) The Six Regimes Explained

(16:53) Why Regimes Differ Everywhere

(21:13) Against Lazy Binaries in Life

(26:08) Four Faces of Democracy

(27:56) When the People Become a Tyrant

(33:31) Conclusion: The Practicality of Politics

Who should rule, the one or the many?

Aristotle wrestled with this question in Politics, and his answer is anything but simple. On one side stands the idea of a single extraordinary ruler. A man of unmatched virtue, flexible enough to judge every situation like a wise doctor who can go beyond the handbook. On the other side is the law: impartial, passionless, reason stripped of jealousy and anger. Then there is the multitude, the collective judgment of free citizens whose perspectives balance out the flaws of any single person.

This episode explores the tension between law and leadership, between equality and excellence, and between the good citizen and the good man. Along the way I touch on modern echoes, from the corruption of crowds to the myth of genius leaders, even to Batman’s strange position as a bad citizen but a good person.

Aristotle's Politics Book III, Chapter 15-18

Chapters:

(00:00) Collective Intelligence vs. Individual Insight

(02:13) Should Laws Rule or Leaders?

(06:30) Crowd Wisdom or Crowd Madness?

(08:27) Historical Context of Governance

(12:01) The Nature of Justice and Equality

(15:41) The Problem With Absolute Power

(21:59) Why the Masses Can’t Always Be Trusted

(24:31) The Case for the Perfect King

(28:30) Aristotle’s Final Answer: The True Ideal Regime

In this episode, I dive into Aristotle’s controversial idea, the “natural king.” This is the one person whose virtue and wisdom are so far above everyone else’s that ruling them would be unjust. Aristotle says such a ruler should lead willingly accepted by all, a model of kingship that sounds strangely familiar in the age of artificial intelligence.

Could a superintelligent AI fit this description? And if so, should we let it rule? Or would that be the fastest road to digital dystopia?

I also explore Aristotle’s blueprint for mixed government, his early version of checks and balances, and why he thought both mob rule and oligarchic control were dangerous.

Politics, Book III, Chapters 11–14

Chapters:

(00:00) Are the Many Wiser or Dangerous?

(01:48) Why Aristotle Didn’t Fully Trust the Crowd

(05:06) Only Experts Can Judge Experts?

(08:43) The Importance of Law and Authority

(09:59) Justice Isn’t About Rich or Poor

(12:06) Relevant Inequalities in Political Life

(13:23) The Risks of Misidentifying Leadership

(16:28) The Exceptional Individual: Blessing or Threat?

(19:49) Natural Kingship: Aristotle’s Ideal Ruler

(28:03) Would Aristotle Let Superintelligent AI Rule?

In this episode, I explore Aristotle’s brutal critique of both democracy and oligarchy and why he believed neither the rich nor the poor should rule simply because they can.

For Aristotle, justice is about purpose rather than wealth or equality. Cities exist for living well, and not just for mere survival.

This is where Aristotle draws the line between power and legitimacy. He doesn’t care how many people rule. He cares why they rule, and who actually benefits from it.

Politics, Book III, Chapters 6–10

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to Aristotle's Politics

(00:51) Transition to Regime Types

(02:45) Understanding the Purpose of the City

(06:19) Political Rule vs. Despotic Rule

(09:27) Classification of Regimes

(14:05) Critique of Democracy and Oligarchy

(17:50) The Role of the Middle Class

(21:54) Justice in Governance

(26:26) Mob Rule vs. Tyranny

(27:40) Critique of Law-Based Systems

(28:18) Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Does being a good person automatically make you a good citizen? In this episode, I dive into one of Aristotle’s most important distinctions between moral virtue and political virtue. You can be honest, kind, and just, yet still fail the test of citizenship. Why?

Aristotle claims that the real citizen is someone who takes part in deliberation and decision-making in the community. That means power, participation, and free time to to engage in politics. So where does that leave others?

This is Aristotle at his most precise and provocative.

Politics, Book III, Chapters 1–5

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction to Citizenship in Aristotle's Politics

(06:11) Practical Observations on Citizenship

(12:54) Good Citizen vs. Good Person

(22:10) The Virtue of Citizenship