The Art of Living: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy / Edition 2

by John Sellars

Overview

It is a commonplace to say that in antiquity philosophy was conceived as a way of life or an art of living, but precisely what such claims amount to has remained unclear. 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 via 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781853997242
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/05/2009
Series:	BCPaperbacks
Edition description:	2nd
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

John Sellars is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the West of England, in Bristol, and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition vii

Abbreviations xiii

Introduction 1

1 The Topic 1

2 The Structure 7

Part I βιoς and τεχvη

1 Philosophy and Biography 15

1 The Philosopher's Beard 15

2 εργα and λογoι

3 The Philosopher's βιoς 21

4 Summary 32

2 The Socratic Origins of the Art of Living 33

1 Philosophy and βιoς 33

2 Care of Oneself in the Apology and Alcibiades I 36

3 The Analysis of τεχvη in the Gorgias 39

4 Different Types of τεχvη 42

5 The Role of ασκησις 42

6 Aristotle's Interpretation of Socrates 50

7 Summary 53

3 The Stoic Conception of the Art of Living 55

1 The Phrase 'Art of Living' 55

2 The Ideal of the Sage 59

3 An Art Concerned with the Soul 64

4 Stoic Definitions of τεχvη 68

5 The Relationship between ασκησις and λoγoς 75

6 The Stoic Division of Philosophy 78

7 Towards a Definition of Philosophy 81

8 Summary 84

4 Sceptical Objections 86

1 The Sceptical Method 87

2 Sextus Empiricus' Objections to an Art of Living 88

3 Philosophy and Biography in Scepticism 101

4 Summary 103

Part II λoγoς and ασκησις

5 Philosophical Exercises 107

1 The Relationship between ασκησις and λoγoς 107

2 The Concept of a Spiritual Exercise 110

3 The Function of Spiritual Exercises 118

4 The Mechanism of SpiritualExercises 123

5 The Form of Spiritual Exercises 126

6 Exercises in the Handbook of Epictetus 129

1 Introduction to the Handbook 129

2 Three Types of Spiritual Exercise 133

3 Summary 145

7 Exercises in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius 147

1 The Literary Form of the Meditations 147

2 The Point of View of the Cosmos 150

3 Summary 165

Conclusion 167

1 Towards a Technical Conception of Philosophy 167

2 Two Conceptions of Philosophical Knowledge 171

3 Philosophy and Biography 171

4 Three Different Types of Philosophical Text 172

5 The Persistence of the Technical Conception of Philosophy 173

Additional Notes 176

Glossary of Greek Works and Phrases 181

Guide to Ancient Philosophers and Authors 184

Bibliography 188

Index Locorum 210

General Index 226

Editorial Reviews

'... both useful and informed with plenty of solid and serious analysis that sheds light on some neglected areas of the school's teachings.' Practical Philosophy 'In short, Sellars provides an excellent unitary account of Epictetus' discussion of virtue and philosophy.' Ancient Philosophy

From the Publisher