Philosophy

A Madison English teacher sent her class outside for 20 phone-free minutes. Half said it was their first time alone with their thoughts in years. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on … Read more

A student was asked to sort Emerson, Poe, Wordsworth, and Thoreau into Romantics and transcendentalists. She put all four under Romanticism, and she was not entirely wrong. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site … Read more

Transcendentalism was a 19th-century American movement that celebrated intuition, nature, and self-reliance. Learn its beliefs, key figures, history, and lasting influence today. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief that … Read more

On July 4, 1837, Concord residents sang a hymn by a local writer at a battle monument. One phrase, “the shot heard round the world,” entered American speech. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a … Read more

A Savannah designer taped two words above her desk before leaving a stable agency job: “Trust thyself.” Three years later, her studio is thriving. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the … Read more

In 1832, a 29-year-old Boston minister resigned rather than perform a ritual he no longer believed in. He became America’s most influential essayist. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief … Read more

After a back injury ended his roofing career at 44, a Fort Worth carpenter felt fate had decided for him. Night classes and a planning job proved otherwise. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a … Read more

In 1860, as America moved toward civil war, Emerson published a book asking a quieter question: how should a person live? Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief that how … Read more

A Toledo mechanic keeps three books in his toolbox: Marcus Aurelius, Confucius, and Thoreau. On hard days, he says, they help more than any podcast. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on … Read more

During chemotherapy, a Rochester teacher kept a Helen Keller line on her mirror. On the hardest mornings, it helped her start the day. Pious Clements Pious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the … Read more

At his retirement party, a Providence firefighter read one line from Seneca aloud. It was why he had finally booked a trip delayed for thirty years. Pious Clements Pious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site … Read more

A Lincoln graduate student lay awake imagining every way her thesis defense could fail. A counselor taught her one ancient question, and the spiral began to loosen. Pious Clements Pious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a … Read more

When her flight was canceled, an Orlando consultant watched travelers shout at the gate agent. She asked, “Is this within my control?” Then she calmly booked a train. Pious Clements Pious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, … Read more

A Tacoma couple argued weekly about chores. Then the husband stopped trying to change his wife and simply did his share well. The arguments nearly stopped. Pious Clements Pious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site … Read more