Stoicism, a school of thought that flourished in greek and roman antiquity. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. The stoic logic including epistemology and physics are a prelude to their ethical theory. I got to share many conversations with the wise, witty, and wondrous philosopher. For, it is for the sake of happiness that we do everything else, and we regard the cause of all good things to be precious and divine. Philosophy of business ethics on the academic oxford university press website philosophy of business ethics oxford university press we use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. Around 300 bc, zeno of citium founded the stoic school of philosophy. On this page, ive listed some that have been helpful to me for learning the basics and structure of the field of study. Stoicism was founded in athens by zeno of citium in the early 3rd century bc, but was famously practiced by the likes of epictetus, cato, seneca and marcus aurelius. Aristotle was a greek philosopher who lived around 350 b. Using childrens stories to teach philosophy and ethics. The tremendous influence stoicism has exerted on ethical thought from early christianity through immanuel kant and into the twentieth century is rarely understood and even more rarely appreciated.
Aristotles ethics moral responsibility philosophy stack. In book x, aristotle begins to explore the ideas of the contemplative life. The best book for you will depend on your preferred learning style and the amount of time that you want to spend reading about stoicism. Catherine dyer holly barrett kristie mullaly taylor ryan biography aristotle was born circa 384 b. If you end up loving pierre hadots book on marcus, philosophy as a way of life is a natural next step. Stoicism by branch doctrine the basics of philosophy. In the passage below from the book letters from a stoic, seneca, a stoic who appreciated the philosophy of epicureanism, noted the main difference between his stoic school and the school of epicurus. It is a practical philosophy which holds that the basic rule of good life is that one should not yield to the passions greed, joy, fear and sorrow, but submit to god. Stoic ethics posted on 15 january 2012 peter considers two of the stoics most challenging ideas, a determinism that leaves room for moral responsibility, and the ideal of an ethically perfect sage. The 10 best philosophy books for beginners the types of modern stoics. Everything from aristotles ethics to the ethics of ai covered. Stoicism is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. In the nicomachean ethics, aristotle makes the claim that happiness is something which is both precious and final.
They can find these books on amazon or any online bookstore. In the nicomachean ethics, aristotle begins to discuss ethics and the function of humans along with the fulfillment of happiness through virtue. Specifically, i am referring to stoicism, which, in my opinion, is the most practical of all philosophies. I will also post a pdf of the original greek text on canvas. The philosophy of life was developed by hellenistic greeks about 300 bce and was eagerly embraced by the romans. Ideas central to ethicsthat happiness is the end of human endeavor, that moral virtue is formed through action and habituation, and that good action requires prudencefound their most powerful proponent in the person medieval scholars simply called the philosopher. Throughout history, stoic ethical doctrines have both provoked harsh criticisms and inspired enthusiastic defenders. They set out the core ethical principles of stoicism in a form designed to help people put them into practice and to use them as a basis for leading a good human life. Russo department of philosophy molloy college show me a man who though sick is happy, though in danger is happy, though dying is happy, though condemned to exile is happy, though in disrepute is happy. The most captivating modern books on stoicism highexistence.
From kant to john rawls, all philosophers have discussed the issue with aristotle on the good life and on happiness. Oct 02, 20 in this lecturediscussion session from my fall 20 introduction to philosophy class at marist, we discuss some of the main issues arising in aristotles nicomachean ethics book 10. Feb 26, 2014 an excellent new translation and commentary. The backroom boys and girls of moral philosophy examine the ultimate reasons for doing things, search for fundamental values, and try to understand the language and the logic of moral claims. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. First, the specific concept of moral responsibility is foreign to aristotles ethics. The nicomachean ethics is one of aristotles most widely read and influential works.
Introduction to stoic ethics online resources in philosophy. Unlike the teleological ethics perspective that the. The ultimate concern of the stoics, as with the epicureans, was the question of how life ought to be lived. There are many great philosophy books available to choose from if youd like to learn more about the subject. Stoicism is predominantly a philosophy of personal ethics which is informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. Linda zagzebski is a george lynn cross research professor and the kingfisher college chair of the philosophy of religion and ethics at the university of oklahoma video produced by nextthought. This course is also well organized a systematic progression through the ten books of the nicomachean ethics with explanations and examples along the way. Another important source is the extended account in book 7 of diogenes laertius lives and opinions of the philosophers. Aristotle, nicomachean ethics, mullen, hard thinking about values proper function of man aristotle observes that the human body is composed of several distinct parts such as limbs, the other sense organs like eyes, ears, tongue and the head, which carry on some distinct and proper function to render better health. He was not an athenian, but he spent most of his life as a student and teacher of philosophy in athens. The second book that i would recommend reading is the famous handbook or encheiridion of stoic philosophy, written by arrian, a student of epictetus, based on his teachers lectures.
Each episode is only a few minutes long, begins with a quote from one of the ancient stoics, and ends with some reflections on the meaning of the quote in the context of contemporary life. We have reasons when we do things we act with ends in mind, whatever those ends may be. The nicomachean ethics by aristotle is the most influential book of the moral philosophy. Indeed, we could have had no finer or more appropriate person with whom to launch this new center program.
Grands philosophes philosophy books philosophy of life modern philosophy handout reflective practice the stoics critical thinking self improvement. He published a list of works on ethics, physics, logic, and other subjects, including his most famous work. Poetics, ethics, politics, and categories ebook by. Feb 20, 20 in this lecture and discussion session from my spring 20 introduction to philosophy class at marist college, we look at aristotles discussions of the intellect and the intellectual virtues in. Martha nussbaum is professor of philosophy at brown university in the united states.
Chapters 35 offer accounts of stoic philosophical doctrines arranged according to the stoic division of philosophical discourse into three parts. Stoics and moral philosophy the 8 principles of stoicism. Aristotles ethics is a common sense ethics built on naturalism and selfrealization. Neo stoicism is a syncretic movement, combining a revival of stoicism with christianity, founded by the belgian humanist justus lipsius 1547 1606. Aristotles book the nicomachean ethics philosophy essay. Stoicism is a school of hellenistic philosophy that flourished throughout the roman and greek world until the 3rd century ad.
The core ideas of stoic ethics core ideas of stoic ethics in marcus aurelius. Cynicism and stoicism are ethical philosophies based on distinguishing between those things in your control from those things not in your control. Aristotle, the nicomachean ethics book 6 introduction to. Marcus aurelius and stoic philosophy art of manliness. The best books on stoicism five books expert recommendations.
This seems to be so because it is a first principle or ultimate starting point. Aristotle 384 322 bce aristotle of stagira is one of the two most important philosophers of the ancient world, and one of the four or five most important of any time or place. This quick guide provides an overview of ancient stoic wisdom and an introduction to the stoic point of view on ethics and personal growth. In the nicomachean ethics aristotle says explicitly that one must begin with what is familiar to us, and the that or the fact that ne i.
He does not himself use either of these titles, although in the politics 1295a36 he refers back to one of themprobably the eudemian ethicsas ta ethikahis writings about character. Our group enjoys openminded, respectful conversations on stoicism and how it relates to science, culture, philosophy, other belief systems, and pop culture books and movies. It is not to be confused with neostoicism, an analogous phenomenon in the 17th century. If we differ in our opinions, then we agree to disagree. Lady mary warnock is a crossbench life peer, moral philosopher and author of a number of books on philosophy, including the intelligent. Reading the best philosophy books gives us the opportunity to look into those hidden depths and understand our own thinking and behavior at a deeper level, helping us eliminate behavior we dont like.
Mary warnocks top 10 philosophy books books the guardian. A brief synopsis on this particular school of hellenistic philosophy. Stoicism was one of the new philosophical movements of the hellenistic period. A study in moral theory by alasdair macintyre, the nicomachean ethics by aristotle, dialogues and essays by. The term modern stoicism covers both the revival of interest in the stoic philosophy and the philosophical efforts to adjust ancient stoicism to the. It was one of the loftiest and most sublime philosophies in the record of western civilization. Wikipedia says books v, vi, and vii of the nicomachean ethics are identical to books iv, v, and vi of the eudemian ethics. The name derives from the porch stoa poikile in the agora at athens decorated with mural paintings, where the members of the school congregated, and their lectures were held. The stoics were a group of ancient greek and roman philosophers who followed a realistic but morally idealistic way of living. A new stoicism proposes an answer to that question, offered from within the stoic tradition but without the metaphysical and psychological assumptions that modern philosophy. Both views stress emotional detachment from the world and emphasize the development of independent character. Aug 18, 2008 this is a pre1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.
One of the big highlights of last weekends defending the faith conference was meeting dr. This interview is a shortened version of one to be found in a newlypublished collection of dialogues between richard kearney and twentyone of the worlds leading contemporary thinkers. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. He organises stoicon, an annual meeting of people interested in exploring stoicism as a philosophy of life. Aristotle 384 bc 322 bc1 was a greek philosopher and polymath, a student of plato and teacher of alexander the great. One attractive feature of the book is the authors engagement with general philosophical issues and the frequent comparison he makes between epictetus and modern thinkers, for example, erich fromm 1089 and 119 n. Epictetus discourses have been the most widely read and influential of all writings of stoic philosophy, from antiquity onwards. Widely considered to be one of the most important works written on philosophy, aristotles nicomachean ethics is separated into 10 books that cover topics such as friendship, happiness, and the invaluable virtues that a person should strive to obtain. Then, i will take into account the objection against stoic determinism raised by some anonymous philosophers. Aristotle, nicomachean ethics book 10 introduction to. Stoicism was founded by zeno of citium and the stoics have been a source of wellbeing, resilience and calmness of mind for generations.
Of all the classical theories considered here, his is the farthest from an ethics of selfinterest. Orion is a community built around practical philosophy to develop resilience, wellbeing, and peace of mind. Philosophy 143 lecture notes the ethics of the stoics. A complete guide to stoicism does an excellent job of explaining the philosophy and history of stoicism. Modern stoicism is an intellectual and popular movement that began at the end of the 20th century aimed at reviving the practice of stoicism. Richard kearney is professor of philosophy at university college dublin. Aristotles ethics stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
It will serve newcomers as an informative, accessible introduction to the nicomachean ethics and to many issues in aristotles philosophy, but also has much to offer advanced scholars. At the end of the volume there is a detailed guide to further reading. The best philosophy books of all time updated for 2020. Stoicism is a school of hellenistic philosophy which was founded by zeno of citium, in athens, in the early 3rd century bc. For those who may have anxiety over reading a philosophy book, let your fears be quelled. Practical ethics or applied ethics, as it is also called, looks at what we should do when confronted by specific moral problems.
Sometimes we want to get rich, sometimes we want to get laid, whatever. Epicureanism is a philosophy which stresses the importance of. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. Stephens personal opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of stoic and epictetan ethics is carefully presented at the end. The final chapter considers the later impact of stoicism on western philosophy. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process.
Jun 19, 2011 aristotles nicomachean ethics offers useful tools for the analysis of proper conduct and serves as a guideline and a stable moral platform in a high pace modern world where people all too often strive for futile objectives, driven by greed and fear. He is the author of six books on philosophy and psychotherapy, including stoicism and the art of happiness and the forthcoming how to think like a roman emperor. This page contains a list of the best books on stoicism. To summarize, aristotle raises the question of virtue. While not focusing uniquely on stoicism, this book is a key text in understanding how philosophy is more than an academic discipline isolated from real life, but something to guide us and orient usand most of allsomething to be practiced. Trained in stoic philosophy, marcus stopped almost every night to practice a series of spiritual exercises reminders designed to make him humble, patient, empathetic, generous, and strong in the face of whatever he was dealing with. We will discuss how stoic practice can lead to a meaningful and fulfilling life.
A brief introduction will be devoted to the relationship between this text and the more general context of the stoic philosophy. Our earliest extended accounts of stoic philosophy are in the philosophical works of cicero from the first century bce. Part one a positive reason for seeing stoicism as influential on marcus is that most of the meditations are strongly reminiscent of stoic ideas, even if marcus does not use technical stoic vocabulary and sometimes recasts these ideas in his own distinctive ways. Phil 421521 24 required texts aristotle, nicomachean ethics, trans. Best books on ethics and moral philosophy recommended by eminent philosophers. Understanding and applying stoic ethics in modern life. An 800page scholarly overview is unlikely to be best for someone looking for a short beginnerfriendly introduction, for example. Peter worley is chief executive and cofounder of the philosophy foundation. May 01, 2011 the nicomachean ethics is one of aristotles most widely read and influential works. Ive got a translation of it, and it doesnt look too long fewer than 200 pages. He published nicomachean ethics, a series of books to present his ideas on ethics.
Ethics inaugurates its occasional paper series, and we are genuinely proud to have vice admiral james b. In urging participation in human affairs, stoics have always believed that the goal of all inquiry is to provide a mode of conduct characterized by tranquillity of mind and. This is a good introduction to aristotles ethics, which now i feel i should read. The main books that ive written ive written six books, but the ones on stoicism are how to think like a roman emperor, the one weve been talking about, the stoic philosophy of marcus aurelius, and also a teach yourself book called stoicism and the art of happiness. It is imminently readable and perfectly accessible. A detailed breakdown of stoicism philosophy and wisdom from the greats.
Why is nicomachean ethics similar to eudemian ethics. Though we have made best efforts the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. It was written like a diary, capturing his thoughts at they occured and reflecting much of his upbringing, training and education. The aristotelian ethics all aim to begin with approximate but uncontroversial starting points. Using ancient philosophy to live a modern life by massimo pigliucci, eating animals by jonathan sa. Philosophy of business ethics oxford university press. It was written by marcus aurelius, the last of the five good emperors who ruled at the height of empire in the second century ad. Donald robertson is a cognitivebehavioural psychotherapist and writer, who was born in scotland but now resides in canada. Meditations is one of the most quotable and readable philosophy books available to us. What would stoic ethics be like today if stoicism had survived as a systematic approach to ethical theory, if it had coped successfully with the challenges of modern philosophy and experimental science. Ancient commentators agree that what aristotle means here is that his treatise must rely upon. Massimo pigliucci is a professor of philosophy at cuny city college, the author of ten books and the former editorinchief of scientia salon.
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