John Sellars

The Art of Living (eBook, PDF)

The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Ancient philosophy was conceived as a way of life or an art of living, but if ancient philosophers did think that philosophy should transform an individual's way of life, then what conception of philosophy stands behind this claim? John Sellars explores this question through a detailed account of ancient Stoic ideas about the nature and function of philosophy. He considers the Socratic background to Stoic thinking about philosophy and Sceptical objections raised by Sextus Empiricus, and offers readings of late Stoic texts by Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.

Sellars argues that the conception of philosophy as an 'art of living', inaugurated by Socrates and developed by the Stoics, has persisted since antiquity and remains a living alternative to modern attempts to assimilate philosophy to the natural sciences. It also enables us to rethink the relationship between an individual's philosophy and their biography. The book appears here in paperback for the first time with a new Preface by the author.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury UK eBooks
• Seitenzahl: 240
• Erscheinungstermin: 16. Oktober 2013
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781472521118
• Artikelnr.: 39682910

Autorenporträt

John Sellars is Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London and Visiting Research Fellow at King's College London. He is also a member of Wolfson College, Oxford.

Inhaltsangabe

Preface to the Second Edition Abbreviations Introduction 1 The Topic 2 The
Structure PART I: 1 Philosophy and Biography 2 The Socratic Origins of the
Art of Living 3 The Stoic Conception of the Art of Living 4 Sceptical
Objections PART II: 5 Philosophical Exercises 6 Exercises in the Handbook
of Epictetus 7 Exercises in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Conclusion
Additional Notes Glossary of Greek Words and Phrases Guide to Ancient
Philosophers and Authors Bibliography Index Locorum General Index