Seneca: Selected Philosophical Letters

by Clarendon Press

Overview

Seneca's Letters to Lucilius are a rich source of information about ancient Stoicism, an influential work for early modern philosophers, and a fascinating philosophical document in their own right. This selection of the letters aims to include those which are of greatest philosophical interest, especially those which highlight the debates between Stoics and Platonists or Aristotelians in the first century AD, and the issue, still important today, of how technical philosophical enquiry is related to the various purposes for which philosophy is practised. In addition to examining the philosophical content of each letter, Brad Inwood's commentary discusses the literary and historical background of the letters and their relationship with other prose works by Seneca.

Seneca is the earliest Stoic author for whom we have access to a large number of complete works, and these works were highly influential in later centuries. He was also a politically influential advisor to the Roman emperor Nero and a celebrated author of prose and verse. His philosophical acuity and independence of mind make his works exciting and challenging for the modern reader.

CLARENDON LATER ANCIENT PHILOSOPHERS
General Editors: Jonathan Barnes and A. A. Long
This series is designed to encourage philosophers and students of philosophy to explore the fertile terrain of later ancient philosophy. The texts range in date from the first century BC to the fifth century AD, and will cover all the parts and all the schools of philosophy. Each volume contains a substantial introduction, an English translation, and a critical commentary on the philosophical claims and arguments of the text. The translations aim primarily at accuracy and fidelity; but they are also readable and accompanied by notes on textual problems that affect the philosophical interpretation. No knowledge of Greek or Latin is assumed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198238942
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/19/2007
Series:	Clarendon Later Ancient Philosophers
Pages:	436
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 5.70(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Brad Inwood is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

IntroductionTranslationCommentaryBibliographyIndex

Editorial Reviews

"Inwood's translation is masterful, and his commentaries are of the greatest help to students and scholars of ancient philosophy. To me, Inwood's book shows in an impressive way that, whether Seneca is a technical philosopher or not, we need to read many of his letters philosophically. With the help of Inwood's book, Seneca's philosophical texts turn out to be most fruitfully studied in the context of the wider study of ancient philosophy."—Katja Maria Vogt, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"Inwood's translation is masterful, and his commentaries are of the greatest help to students and scholars of ancient philosophy. To me, Inwood's book shows in an impressive way that, whether Seneca is a technical philosopher or not, we need to read many of his letters philosophically. With the help of Inwood's book, Seneca's philosophical texts turn out to be most fruitfully studied in the context of the wider study of ancient philosophy."—Katja Maria Vogt, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews


"Inwood's translation is masterful, and his commentaries are of the greatest help to students and scholars of ancient philosophy. To me, Inwood's book shows in an impressive way that, whether Seneca is a technical philosopher or not, we need to read many of his letters philosophically. With the help
of Inwood's book, Seneca's philosophical texts turn out to be most fruitfully studied in the context of the wider study of ancient philosophy."—Katja Maria Vogt, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews


"Cooper and Procope in this volume have presented students with a very useful and valuable aide for the study of Stoic political philosophy." International Studies in Philosophy

"This excellent new translation (with an introduction and notes) of On Anger, On Mercy, On the Private Life, and On Favours will be extremely helpful to those interested in Stoic ethics and also to those whose interest is in ancient political thought, the Roman use of Greek ideas, or the thought of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European writers like Clavin, Montaigne, and Lipsius, whom Seneca influenced." Ethics

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