Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

by A. A. Long

Overview

The philosophy of Epictetus, a freed slave in the Roman Empire, has been profoundly influential on Western thought: it offers not only stimulating ideas but practical guidance in living one's life. A. A. Long, a leading scholar of later ancient philosophy, gives the definitive presentation of the thought of Epictetus for a broad readership. Long's fresh and vivid translations of a selection of the best of Epictetus' discourses show that his ideas are as valuable and striking today as they were amost two thousand years ago. The translations are organized thematically within the framework of an authoritative introduction and commentary, which offer a way into this world for those new to it, and illuminating interpretations for those who already know it. Epictetus is known as one of the great Stoic thinkers. But he took the life and conversation of Socrates as his educational model. His Socratic allegiance, scarcely examined before, is a major theme of this ground-breaking book. Long shows how Epictetus offered his students a way of life premised on the values of personal autonomy and integrity. Never a sermonizer, Epictetus engages his students in brilliantly challenging dialogue; Long offers the first accessible study of his argumentative and rhetorical methods. This is a book for anyone interested in what we can learn from ancient philosophy about how to live our lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191057380
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/10/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	413 KB

About the Author

A. A. Long, Department of Classics, University of California, Berkeley

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Epictetus in his Time and Place
2. The Discourses
3. The Socratic Paradigm
4. Philosophy and Pedagogy
5. Reading Epictetus
6. Natures: Divine, Human, Animal
7. From Theology to Ethics
8. Autonomy and Integrity
9. Appropriate Actions and Feelings
Epilogue: The afterlife of Epictetus
Glossary
Who's Who: Stoics and Others
Index of passages/general index

Editorial Reviews

"The first monograph for 34 years devoted to that most readable and read of all Stoics.... This is an exemplary work of intellectual history: it has never taken much to see that Epictetus is a witty, direct, and humane teacher of an interesting philosophy; it is good to have a study which explains something of what he (as opposed merely to it) is about."—Greece & Rome

"[A] splendidly accessible study.... Long's book offers expert and lucid guidance on every aspect of Epictetus' philosophy and his various teaching strategies, illustrated by numerous excerpts from the Discourses. It is written in a manner that is both calmly accepting of Epictetus' peculiarities and, in the proper sense, philosophical."—Times Literary Supplement

"With deft sensitivity to how Epictetus' pedagogic concerns influence what he says in different contexts....Long's focus on questions of how one might live as a philosopher keeps this book accessible and engaging throughout, as do the extensive quotations from Epictetus' discourses in Long's own lively translations. For general readers, professionals, and upper-division undergraduates through faculty."—Choice

From the Publisher