Stoic Ethics

Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom

William O. Stephens (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

208 Seiten

2017
Bloomsbury Academic (Verlag)
978-1-350-06835-3 (ISBN)

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Soon after Aristotle's death, several schools of ancient philosophy arose, each addressing the practical question of how to live a good, happy life. The two biggest rivals, Stoicism and Epicureanism, came to dominate the philosophical landscape for the next 500 years. Epicureans advised pursuing pleasure to be happy, and Stoics held that true happiness could only be achieved by living according to nature, which required accepting what happens and fulfilling one's roles. Stoicism, more than Epicureanism, attracted followers from many different walks of life: slaves, laborers, statesmen, intellectuals, and an emperor. The lasting impact of these philosophies is seen from the fact that even today 'Stoic' and 'Epicurean' are household words. Although very little of the writings of the early Stoics survive, our knowledge of Stoicism comes largely from a few later Stoics. In this unique book, William O. Stephens explores the moral philosophy of Epictetus, a former Roman slave and dynamic Stoic teacher whose teachings are the most compelling defense of ancient Stoicism that exists. Epictetus' philosophy dramatically captures the spirit of Stoicism by examining and remedying our greatest human disappointments, such as the death of a loved one. Stephens shows how, for Epictetus, happiness results from focusing our concern on what is up to us while not worrying about what is beyond our control. He concludes that the strength of Epictetus' thought lies in his conception of happiness as freedom from fear, worry, grief, and dependence upon luck.

William O. Stephens is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Creighton University, USA.

Preface
Introduction
1. What Exactly Is Up to Me?
2. How Must I View the Use of Externals?
3. How Does the Stoic Love?
4. Happiness as Freedom
Bibliography

Erscheinungsdatum	10.10.2017
Reihe/Serie	Continuum Studies in Ancient Philosophy
Verlagsort	London
Sprache	englisch
Maße	156 x 234 mm
Gewicht	290 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Ethik
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Philosophie Altertum / Antike
ISBN-10	1-350-06835-7 / 1350068357
ISBN-13	978-1-350-06835-3 / 9781350068353
Zustand	Neuware