John Sellars
Royal Holloway, University of London, Philosophy, Faculty Member
- King's College London, Philosophy, Department MemberUniversity of Oxford, Wolfson College, Department Memberadd
- Seneca, Neostoicism, Ralph Cudworth, Aristotle, Philosophy, Metaphilosophy, and 25 moreRenaissance Philosophy, Justus Lipsius, Neoplatonism and late antique philosophy, Stoicism, Ancient Philosophy, Cambridge Platonism, Pietro Pomponazzi, Hellenistic Philosophy, Ancient commentators on Aristotle, Aristotle's Commentators, Renaissance Aristotelianism, Roman Philosophy, Book History, Epictetus, Musonius Rufus, Marcus Aurelius, History of Philosophy, Shaftesbury, Stoic Tradition, Cicero, Cicero's philosophical works, Philosophy as a way of life, Roman Stoicism, Henry More, and Pierre Hadotedit
- I am a Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London. I am also a Visiting Research Fellow in the Depa... moreI am a Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London. I am also a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, King's College London, where I am affiliated to the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle project. I am also a Member of Common Room at Wolfson College, Oxford (since 2007), where I held a Junior Research Fellowship (2004-7).
My research interests are focused on Hellenistic and Roman philosophy, and - increasingly - Renaissance philosophy. In particular I have worked on Stoicism and its reception.edit
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Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018
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Introduction | Stoicism in Rome | Stoicism in Early Christianity | Plotinus and the Platonic Response to Stoicism | Augustine’s Debt to Stoicism in the Confessions | Boethius and Stoicism | Stoic Themes in Peter Abelard and John of... more
Introduction | Stoicism in Rome | Stoicism in Early Christianity | Plotinus and the Platonic Response to Stoicism | Augustine’s Debt to Stoicism in the Confessions | Boethius and Stoicism | Stoic Themes in Peter Abelard and John of Salisbury | Stoic Influences in the Later Middle Ages | The Recovery of Stoicism in the Renaissance | Stoicism in the Philosophy of the Italian Renaissance | Erasmus, Calvin, and the Faces of Stoicism in Renaissance and Reformation Thought | Justus Lipsius and Neostoicism | Shakespeare and Early Modern English Literature | Medicine of the Mind in Early Modern Philosophy | Stoic Themes in Early Modern French Thought | Spinoza and Stoicism | Leibniz and the Stoics: Fate, Freedom, and Providence | The Epicurean Stoicism of the French Enlightenment | Stoicism and the Scottish Enlightenment | Kant and Stoic Ethics | Stoicism in Nineteenth Century German Philosophy | Stoicism and Romantic Literature | Stoicism in Victorian Culture | Stoicism in America | Stoic Themes in Contemporary Anglo-American Ethics | Stoicism and Twentieth Century French Philosophy | The Stoic Influence on Modern Psychotherapy
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[I have uploaded a copy of the preface to the second edition, in which I respond to reviews of the first edition.] It is a commonplace to say that in antiquity philosophy was conceived as a way of life or an art of living but... more
[I have uploaded a copy of the preface to the second edition, in which I respond to reviews of the first edition.]
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? In The Art of Living 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, 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.
[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/art-of-living.html]"
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? In The Art of Living 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, 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.
[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/art-of-living.html]"
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[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/stoicism.html] This book offers a general introduction to Stoicism, the first for over 30 years (since Sandbach's The Stoics from 1975, or Long's Hellenistic Philosophy from 1974). It... more
[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/stoicism.html]
This book offers a general introduction to Stoicism, the first for over 30 years (since Sandbach's The Stoics from 1975, or Long's Hellenistic Philosophy from 1974). It outlines the central philosophical ideas of Stoicism and introduces the reader to the different ancient authors and sources that they will encounter when exploring Stoicism. The range of sources that are drawn upon in the reconstruction of Stoic philosophy can be bewildering for the beginner. The book guides the reader through the surviving works of the late Stoic authors, such as Seneca and Epictetus, and the fragments relating to the early Stoics found in authors such as Plutarch and Stobaeus. The opening chapter offers an introduction to the ancient Stoics, their works, and other ancient authors who report material about ancient Stoic philosophy. The second chapter considers how the Stoics themselves conceived philosophy and how they structured their own philosophical system. Chapters Three to Five offer accounts of Stoic philosophical doctrines arranged according to the Stoic division of philosophical discourse into three parts: logic, physics, and ethics. The final chapter considers the later impact of Stoicism on Western philosophy, from late antiquity to the present.
Selected Reviews:
'It's easy to recommend this book as the best introduction to the subject' (The Philosophers' Magazine 37);
'Sellars's book highlights important issues. He has provided an excellent introduction to Stoicism for all who want to know more about it, and that is a considerable achievement' (Philosophical Books 48/2)
'This is an outstanding, and long-desired, introduction to the Stoics ... Sellars has risen splendidly to the challenge of providing a new generation of students with an introduction to Stoicism. I recommend the book without hesitation. It is clearly written, well organized, and beautifully produced' (The Heythrop Journal 49/3)
This book offers a general introduction to Stoicism, the first for over 30 years (since Sandbach's The Stoics from 1975, or Long's Hellenistic Philosophy from 1974). It outlines the central philosophical ideas of Stoicism and introduces the reader to the different ancient authors and sources that they will encounter when exploring Stoicism. The range of sources that are drawn upon in the reconstruction of Stoic philosophy can be bewildering for the beginner. The book guides the reader through the surviving works of the late Stoic authors, such as Seneca and Epictetus, and the fragments relating to the early Stoics found in authors such as Plutarch and Stobaeus. The opening chapter offers an introduction to the ancient Stoics, their works, and other ancient authors who report material about ancient Stoic philosophy. The second chapter considers how the Stoics themselves conceived philosophy and how they structured their own philosophical system. Chapters Three to Five offer accounts of Stoic philosophical doctrines arranged according to the Stoic division of philosophical discourse into three parts: logic, physics, and ethics. The final chapter considers the later impact of Stoicism on Western philosophy, from late antiquity to the present.
Selected Reviews:
'It's easy to recommend this book as the best introduction to the subject' (The Philosophers' Magazine 37);
'Sellars's book highlights important issues. He has provided an excellent introduction to Stoicism for all who want to know more about it, and that is a considerable achievement' (Philosophical Books 48/2)
'This is an outstanding, and long-desired, introduction to the Stoics ... Sellars has risen splendidly to the challenge of providing a new generation of students with an introduction to Stoicism. I recommend the book without hesitation. It is clearly written, well organized, and beautifully produced' (The Heythrop Journal 49/3)
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This book makes available again a long out-of-print translation of a major sixteenth-century philosophical text. Lipsius' De Constantia (1584) is an important Humanist text and a key moment in the reception of Stoicism. A dialogue in two... more
This book makes available again a long out-of-print translation of a major sixteenth-century philosophical text. Lipsius' De Constantia (1584) is an important Humanist text and a key moment in the reception of Stoicism. A dialogue in two books, conceived as a philosophical consolation for those suffering through contemporary religious wars, it proved immensely popular in its day and formed the inspiration for what has become known as 'Neostoicism'. This movement advocated the revival of Stoic ethics in a form that would be palatable to a Christian audience. Lipsius deploys Stoic arguments concerning appropriate attitudes towards emotions and external events. He also makes clear which parts of Stoic philosophy must be rejected, including its materialism and its determinism. De Constantia was translated into a number of vernacular languages soon after its original publication in Latin. Of the English translations which were made, that by Sir John Stradling (1595) became a classic; it was last reprinted in 1939. This new edition offers a lightly revised version of Stradling's translation, along with a new introduction, notes, and bibliography.
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This chapter will outline the reception of Stoicism in Rome from c. 150 BC through to c. AD 200. It will begin with the famous embassy of Athenian philosophers to Rome that included the Stoic Diogenes of Babylon, then moving on to... more
This chapter will outline the reception of Stoicism in Rome from c. 150 BC through to c. AD 200. It will begin with the famous embassy of Athenian philosophers to Rome that included the Stoic Diogenes of Babylon, then moving on to Panaetius and Posidonius, stressing their connections with Rome and Romans. Then Cicero and the literal 'Latinization' of Stoic ideas in his philosophical works. This, combined with the demise of the Athenian Stoa as an ongoing tradition, paved the way for home-grown Roman Stoicism, and in this context it will consider the school of Sextius and its most famous pupil, Seneca. The circle around Seneca included a number of notable Stoics-Lucan, Cornutus, Persius-all of whom will be mentioned. Contemporary with this was Musonius Rufus and his pupils-Epictetus, Dio Chrysostom, and Euphrates of Tyre-along with the Stoic opposition that contributed to the banishment of both Musonius and Epictetus. In contrast to this very practical and politically engaged brand of Stoicism, the more scholarly efforts of Hierocles and Cleomedes will also be mentioned. Indeed, the scholarly discussion of Stoicism in the second century and the focus in particular on the works of Chrysippus by thinkers such as Plutarch and Galen will be stressed, and it will be against this background that the chapter will conclude by turning to Marcus Aurelius, a studious reader of the early Stoics as well as being engaged in a practical project of ethical self-cultivation.
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This chapter examines the reception of the Meditations in early modern Europe, focusing primary on the period from the first publication of the Meditations in 1559 to the end of the eighteenth century. In particular it discusses the way... more
This chapter examines the reception of the Meditations in early modern Europe, focusing primary on the period from the first publication of the Meditations in 1559 to the end of the eighteenth century. In particular it discusses the way in which the text was read as either a generic source of ancient moral maxims or a serious work of Stoic philosophy.
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I examine a short work by Leon Battista Alberti, his De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, which considers both the disadvantages and the benefits of a life devoted to scholarship. Alberti mocks the scholar whose life is marked by... more
I examine a short work by Leon Battista Alberti, his De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, which considers both the disadvantages and the benefits of a life devoted to scholarship. Alberti mocks the scholar whose life is marked by extreme hardship and poverty with little chance of attaining the rewards of fame and wealth. Yet there are also more serious benefits that come from the study of ancient literature, leading Alberti to reassess his own motivations for wanting to embrace the life of a scholar. It is only through a philosophical clarification of values that the true worth of a scholarly life can be grasped. Along the way Alberti makes plain that the ultimate goal is the cultivation of a virtuous character. This is what makes a life devoted to scholarship a philosophical way of life.
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An outline of the reception of Stoic Ethics in the medieval period, a chapter from my recent book on Barlaam of Seminara.
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Leiden: Brill, 2024.
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I reexamine the three topoi or areas of study outlined in Epictetus, Dissertationes 3.2 and the claim that they align with the traditional three parts of Stoic philosophy. I argue that they do not correspond to the three parts, but... more
I reexamine the three topoi or areas of study outlined in Epictetus, Dissertationes 3.2 and the claim that they align with the traditional three parts of Stoic philosophy. I argue that they do not correspond to the three parts, but instead map out a series of stages in philosophical training. I then compare these three topoi with another set outlined in Enchiridion 52. I argue that these are distinct from the set outlined in Dissertationes 3.2 and that this second set does not map on to the three parts of Stoic philosophy either. I conclude by suggesting that the three topoi in the Dissertationes are not as central to the philosophy of Epictetus as some commentators have supposed.
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The Stoic philosopher Epictetus repeatedly warns his students not merely to repeat what they have heard but instead to digest it in order to transform how they live. This involves changing their habitual ways of thinking. The way one goes... more
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus repeatedly warns his students not merely to repeat what they have heard but instead to digest it in order to transform how they live. This involves changing their habitual ways of thinking. The way one goes about this, Epictetus suggests, is by setting up contrary habits. Habits are the sorts of things that can vary in intensity, unlike virtue which is an all or nothing affair. The challenge when attempting to do this is avoiding external negative influences, Epictetus argues. The sort of training Epictetus advocates is broadly non-cognitive, which raises questions about the orthodoxy of Epictetus’s account.
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One striking feature of the Renaissance recovery of ancient philosophy was the attention paid to biographies of ancient philosophers. One of the first to receive attention was Seneca: Gasparino Barzizza wrote, in the words of Letizia... more
One striking feature of the Renaissance recovery of ancient philosophy was the attention paid to biographies of ancient philosophers. One of the first to receive attention was Seneca: Gasparino Barzizza wrote, in the words of Letizia Panizza, “the first Humanist Latin biography of Seneca”. Gianozzo Manetti later wrote parallel lives of Socrates and Seneca, inspired by Plutarch. There was great excitement when the Vitae philosophorum of Diogenes Laertius was rediscovered and translated into Latin. Its appearance prompted Leonardo Bruni to write a new Humanist biography of Aristotle. Biographies of Plato followed, including one by Marsilio Ficino. Early printed editions of the works of philosophers – such as the Aldine Aristotle – opened with a biography, to be read before the works, following the ancient Neoplatonic tradition of studying the life of a philosopher before their ideas. While some historians of philosophy might be tempted to ignore this Renaissance fascination with biographies, dismissing it as a historical and philological distraction, I argue that it might tell us something important about how philosophy was conceived during the Renaissance. In particular I argue that it adds support to the claim made by a number of recent scholars that during the Renaissance philosophy was often conceived as a way of life.
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This article examines the reception of Stoicism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, from Justus Lipsius to Immanuel Kant. It considers topics often associated with Stoicism during the period, notably the interconnected concepts... more
This article examines the reception of Stoicism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, from Justus Lipsius to Immanuel Kant. It considers topics often associated with Stoicism during the period, notably the interconnected concepts of fate, necessity, and providence, as well as the rise and development of scholarship on Stoicism during the period. While this was an especially rich period for the reception of Stoicism, more often than not the Stoics found themselves drawn into contemporary disputes, such as the potentially atheistic conclusions of Spinoza's philosophy. At the same time, it saw a shift away from seeing Seneca as the pre-eminent Stoic and towards the systematic philosophy of Zeno and Chrysippus.
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Philosophy during the Renaissance adopted a myriad of literary forms. One that proved popular was the work of consolation, inspired by ancient models such as the consolatory works of Seneca. Many of these works were prompted by immediate,... more
Philosophy during the Renaissance adopted a myriad of literary forms. One that proved popular was the work of consolation, inspired by ancient models such as the consolatory works of Seneca. Many of these works were prompted by immediate, often traumatic events – both personal and political – and were sincere attempts to draw on ancient models of consolatory thought for the therapeutic benefit they might confer. In this chapter I shall examine examples of philosophical consolation by Petrarch, Filelfo, and Scala among others, approaching them as practical responses to the vicissitudes of fate and fortune. In particular I shall focus on the way these authors draw on ancient therapeutic arguments recorded in Cicero and Seneca, such as the Stoic denial that external events are ever truly bad. I shall also be concerned with what these Renaissance works tells us about how their authors conceived the role and purpose of philosophy – a practical guide to life.
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One popular image of Stoicism presents it as indifferent to external events, which are seen as the product of mechanical fate, with value residing only with inner virtue. A second popular image emphasizes an attitude of optimism and... more
One popular image of Stoicism presents it as indifferent to external events, which are seen as the product of mechanical fate, with value residing only with inner virtue. A second popular image emphasizes an attitude of optimism and affirmation with regard to events, conceived as the result of divine providence. This chapter critically examines Foucault’s proposal that the tension between these two images reflects a shift in emphasis between the Athenian Stoa (in particular Cleanthes, as reported by Cicero) and the Roman Stoa (primarily Seneca and Epictetus). While the Athenian Stoics saw external events as ‘indifferents’ (adiaphora), the Roman Stoics reconceived them as a test to be embraced. Sent by divine providence, apparent evils are neither evils nor unqualified indifferents but rather something to be embraced as benefits.
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A long-established view has deprecated Renaissance humanists as primarily literary figures with little serious interest in philosophy. More recently it has been proposed that the idea of philosophy as a way of life offers a useful... more
A long-established view has deprecated Renaissance humanists as primarily literary figures with little serious interest in philosophy. More recently it has been proposed that the idea of philosophy as a way of life offers a useful framework with which to re-assess their philosophical standing. However, this proposal has faced some criticism. By looking again at the work of three important figures from the period I defend the claim that at least some thinkers during the Renaissance did see philosophy as a way of life, while also acknowledging the force of reservations made by recent critics.
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A number of commentators have suggested that in the final chapters of his De immortalitate animae Pietro Pomponazzi drew on Stoic themes in developing his ethical claims regarding the autonomy of virtue. I argue against both the claim... more
A number of commentators have suggested that in the final chapters of his De immortalitate animae Pietro Pomponazzi drew on Stoic themes in developing his ethical claims regarding the autonomy of virtue. I argue against both the claim that he was especially influenced by Stoicism here and the claim that he was asserting the autonomy of ethics from religious or metaphysical concerns. Instead I argue that we ought to take Pomponazzi's ethical reflections as a response to Aristotle's discussion, towards the end of the Nicomachean Ethics, of the relative status of the political and the contemplative life. We also ought to see them as a corollary to his interpretation of Aristotle's account of the soul in the earlier chapters of the work.
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Although Marcus Aurelius refers to Socrates only a handful of times in the Meditations, and often only to name him as an example of an illustrious figure now long dead, this chapter argues that there is a distinctive Socratic character to... more
Although Marcus Aurelius refers to Socrates only a handful of times in the Meditations, and often only to name him as an example of an illustrious figure now long dead, this chapter argues that there is a distinctive Socratic character to the philosophical project that we see at work in Marcus's notebook writings. In those few places where Marcus does invoke Socrates it is usually in connection with one of the central preoccupations of the Meditations, in particular the notion of taking care of oneself, the primacy of virtue, and the need for self-control. This chapter i) examines Marcus's knowledge of Socrates and the sources he used, and ii) explores the Socratic themes in the Meditations noted above. Although Marcus does not explicitly say very much about Socrates, I suggest that he probably considered the Meditations to embody a deeply Socratic project.
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What is philosophy as a way of life? Is it a distinctive approach to philosophy? Is it closely aligned with continental philosophy? Does it offer a third way, distinct from both analytic and continental philosophy? Is all philosophy... more
What is philosophy as a way of life? Is it a distinctive approach to philosophy? Is it closely aligned with continental philosophy? Does it offer a third way, distinct from both analytic and continental philosophy? Is all philosophy potentially life-changing? Do we lose something important if we conceive philosophy as a practical therapeutic exercise? I shall attempt to address all these questions, drawing on Lucretius for my final response.
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A short note discussing whether Meditations 11.39 is a fragment from Epictetus.
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This chapter examines Michel Foucault's notion of cultivation of the self by focusing on an example of an ancient practice contributing to that goal, namely the attitude of attention or mindfulness proposed by the Roman Stoics Epictetus... more
This chapter examines Michel Foucault's notion of cultivation of the self by focusing on an example of an ancient practice contributing to that goal, namely the attitude of attention or mindfulness proposed by the Roman Stoics Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. It contrasts this Stoic attitude with modern versions of mindfulness, showing that both the object of attention and the goal of the process are different. It argues that the primary object of attention for Roman Stoic mindfulness was one's philosophical principles. The goal of this practice was virtuous action based upon those principles. It was a technique aimed at ethical self-transformation, unlike its modern counterpart, which is primarily aimed at overcoming distress.
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I examine Henry More’s engagement with Stoicism in general, and Marcus Aurelius in particular, in his Enchiridion Ethicum. More quotes from Marcus’s Meditations throughout the Enchiridion, leading one commentator to note that More ‘mined... more
I examine Henry More’s engagement with Stoicism in general, and Marcus Aurelius in particular, in his Enchiridion Ethicum. More quotes from Marcus’s Meditations throughout the Enchiridion, leading one commentator to note that More ‘mined the Meditations’ when writing his book. Yet More’s general attitude towards Stoicism is more often than not critical, especially when it comes to the passions. I shall argue that while More was clearly an avid reader of the Meditations he read Marcus not as a Stoic but as a ‘non-denominational’ ancient moralist who confirms a range of doctrines that More finds elsewhere in ancient philosophy. In this sense More continues the Neoplatonic practice of downplaying doctrinal differences between ancient philosophers in order to construct a single ancient philosophical tradition. This is quite different from the approach of his contemporary and fellow Cambridge Platonist, Ralph Cudworth, who was keen to highlight doctrinal differences between ancient philosophers.
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The ancient philosophy of Stoicism found both admirers and critics during the Renaissance. Early humanists such as Petrarca and Salutati admired many aspects of Stoic philosophy, based on their reading of Cicero and Seneca. Seneca... more
The ancient philosophy of Stoicism found both admirers and critics during the Renaissance. Early humanists such as Petrarca and Salutati admired many aspects of Stoic philosophy, based on their reading of Cicero and Seneca. Seneca attracted much humanist attention and was the subject of biographies and commentaries. However Stoicism also had its critics, from an Epicurean Valla to the Platonic Ficino. The recovery and translation of Greek authors such as Diogenes Laertius and Epictetus expanded knowledge of the Stoa. Whereas early Humanists associated Stoicism with Cicero and Seneca, later generations returned Zeno and Chrysippus to centre stage. Seneca remained important, even after the correspondence with St Paul was dismissed as spurious, and attracted the attention of Erasmus, Calvin, and Lipsius. It was with Lipsius that the fortunes of Stoicism changed dramatically. His De constantia founded what has come to be called Neostoicism, while his two Stoic handbooks published in 1604 brought together for the first time more or less all the surviving evidence for Stoic philosophy. His contemporaries Montaigne and Du Vair presented Stoic ideas in the vernacular and re-emphasized the practical orientation of Stoicism. The early seventeenth century saw a flurry of scholarly studies by Bursius, Scioppius, and Casaubon alongside those of Lipsius. Throughout the period a continual theme was the compatibility of Stoicism with Christianity; by the end of the period they were firmly disconnected, paving the way for eighteenth century presentations of Stoicism as a form of materialism and atheism.
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This chapter in German on Stoic spiritual exercises focuses on Marcus Aurelius and is based on 'Marcus Aurelius and the Tradition of Spiritual Exercises' which will be published in English in The Oxford Handbook of Roman Philosophy.
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This paper examines Shaftesbury’s reflections on the nature of philosophy in his Askêmata notebooks, which draw heavily on the Roman Stoics Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. In what follows I introduce the notebooks, outline Shaftesbury’s... more
This paper examines Shaftesbury’s reflections on the nature of philosophy in his Askêmata notebooks, which draw heavily on the Roman Stoics Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. In what follows I introduce the notebooks, outline Shaftesbury’s account of philosophy therein, compare it with his discussions of the nature of philosophy in his published works, and conclude by suggesting that Pierre Hadot’s conception of ‘philosophy as a way of life’ offers a helpful framework for thinking about Shaftesbury’s account of philosophy.
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The Bodleian manuscript of Epictetus' Dissertationes was identified as the archetype of all surviving copies by the presence of an ink smudge on one page obscuring part of the text. Editors have made a variety of conjectures in order to... more
The Bodleian manuscript of Epictetus' Dissertationes was identified as the archetype of all surviving copies by the presence of an ink smudge on one page obscuring part of the text. Editors have made a variety of conjectures in order to generate a meaningful text. With the aid of high resolution digital images the text obscured by the ink smudge has been re-examined and the various emendations that have been proposed are assessed.
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This paper examines Pomponazzi’s arguments against Averroes in his De Immortalitate Animae, focusing on the question whether thought is possible without a body. The first part of the paper will sketch the history of the problem, namely... more
This paper examines Pomponazzi’s arguments against Averroes in his De Immortalitate Animae, focusing on the question whether thought is possible without a body. The first part of the paper will sketch the history of the problem, namely the interpretation of Aristotle’s remarks about the intellect in De Anima 3.4-5, touching on Alexander, Themistius, and Averroes. The second part will focus on Pomponazzi’s response to Averroes, including his use of arguments by Aquinas. It will conclude by suggesting that Pomponazzi’s discussion stands as the first properly modern account of Aristotle’s psychology.
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Plato’s Apology is not merely an account of Socrates’ trial, it is also a work of metaphilosophy, presenting Socrates’ understanding of the nature and function of philosophy. This is a vital part of the text’s apologetic task, for it is... more
Plato’s Apology is not merely an account of Socrates’ trial, it is also a work of metaphilosophy, presenting Socrates’ understanding of the nature and function of philosophy. This is a vital part of the text’s apologetic task, for it is only with reference to Socrates’ understanding of what philosophy is that we can understand, and so justify, his seemingly antisocial behaviour. Plato presents to us Socrates’ metaphilosophy in two ways: via what Socrates says and what he does. This twofold method of presentation is appropriate, if not essential, given the conception of philosophy that Socrates is presented as holding.
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In his De Constantia of 1584, Justus Lipsius examines the Stoic theory of fate, distancing himself from it by outlining four key points at which it should be modified. The modified theory is often presented as a distinctly Christianized... more
In his De Constantia of 1584, Justus Lipsius examines the Stoic theory of fate, distancing himself from it by outlining four key points at which it should be modified. The modified theory is often presented as a distinctly Christianized form of Stoicism. Later, in his Physiologia Stoicorum of 1604, Lipsius revisits the Stoic theory, this time offering a more sympathetic reading, with the four modifications forgotten. It is widely assumed that Lipsius’s position shifted between these two works, perhaps due to a better grasp of the Stoic position by the time of the later work. I argue that in fact there is no great distance between the two accounts and that both find only one point of difficulty with the Stoic theory, a point that Lipsius himself presents in both works as merely a matter of expression.
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This chapter examines the philosophical context in which Seneca thought and wrote, drawing primarily on evidence within Seneca's works. It considers Seneca's immediate teachers, his debt to the Stoic tradition, other Greek philosophical... more
This chapter examines the philosophical context in which Seneca thought and wrote, drawing primarily on evidence within Seneca's works. It considers Seneca's immediate teachers, his debt to the Stoic tradition, other Greek philosophical influences, and other contemporary philosophers.
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On Augustine's attitudes towards Stoicism and the way they have influenced the reception of both in Abelard, Petrarch, Lipsius, Senault, Pascal, and Malebranche.
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In his A Treatise of Freewill, Ralph Cudworth argues against Stoic determinism by drawing on what he takes to be other concepts found in Stoicism, notably the claim that some things are ‘up to us’ (ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν) and that these things are the... more
In his A Treatise of Freewill, Ralph Cudworth argues against Stoic determinism by drawing on what he takes to be other concepts found in Stoicism, notably the claim that some things are ‘up to us’ (ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν) and that these things are the product of our choice (προαίρεσις). These concepts are central to the late Stoic Epictetus and it appears at first glance as if Cudworth is opposing late Stoic voluntarism against early Stoic determinism. This paper argues that in fact, despite his claim to be drawing on Stoic doctrine, Cudworth uses these terms with a meaning first articulated only later, by the Peripatetic commentator Alexander of Aphrodisias.
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In the late sixteenth century a number of influential writers claimed Stoicism to be compatible with Christianity but by the mid eighteenth century, Stoicism had come to be associated with atheism. What happened during the course of the... more
In the late sixteenth century a number of influential writers claimed Stoicism to be compatible with Christianity but by the mid eighteenth century, Stoicism had come to be associated with atheism. What happened during the course of the reception of Stoicism in the intervening period? While it remains unclear who was the first person to call the Stoics atheists, there is no doubt that the most philosophically sustained analysis of Stoic theology during this period is to be found in Ralph Cudworth's True Intellectual System of the Universe, published in 1678. Cudworth's aim in this work is to catalogue and then attack all existing forms of atheism and one of the four principal forms of atheism he identifies he calls ‘Stoical’. However, in Cudworth's complex taxonomy of different forms of theism and atheism, Stoicism appears twice, first as a form of atheism but also as a form of imperfect theism. The aim of this study is to examine Cudworth's claims about Stoic theology, assessing their fairness, but also placing them within the wider context of the early modern reception of Stoicism.
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This essay offers an introduction to Justus Lipsius's dialogue De Constantia, first published in 1584. Although the dialogue bears a superficial similarity to philosophical works of consolation, I suggest that it should be approached as a... more
This essay offers an introduction to Justus Lipsius's dialogue De Constantia, first published in 1584. Although the dialogue bears a superficial similarity to philosophical works of consolation, I suggest that it should be approached as a spiritual exercise written by Lipsius primarily for his own benefit.
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Modern accounts of Stoic politics have attributed to Zeno the ideal of an isolated community of sages and to later Stoics such as Seneca a cosmopolitan utopia transcending all traditional States. By returning to the Cynic background to... more
Modern accounts of Stoic politics have attributed to Zeno the ideal of an isolated community of sages and to later Stoics such as Seneca a cosmopolitan utopia transcending all traditional States. By returning to the Cynic background to both Zeno's Republic and the Cosmopolitan tradition, this paper argues that the distance between the two is not as great as is often supposed. This account, it is argued, is more plausible than trying to offer a developmental explanation of the supposed transformation in Stoic political thought from isolated community to cosmopolitan utopia.
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An attempt to show the way in which the idea of 'philosophical exercise 'played an important role in the understanding of philosophy in Roman Stoicism.
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Online at https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/learning-to-live-naturally-stoic-ethics-and-its-modern-significance/
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An annotated bibliography of work on Epictetus.
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A working draft of a bibliography of work on Epictetus since 1927.
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The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (b. 121–d. 180) was the author of a series of philosophical reflections that are best known in the English-speaking world under the title Meditations. In the Meditations Marcus reflects on a range of... more
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (b. 121–d. 180) was the author of a series of philosophical reflections that are best known in the English-speaking world under the title Meditations. In the Meditations Marcus reflects on a range of philosophical topics as well as challenges in his own life. The book is unlike any other philosophical text that has come down to us from Antiquity, taking the form of a collection of notebook jottings that were probably never intended for wider circulation. With the exception of Book 1, which reflects on Marcus’s debts to various people that have been important in his life, the remaining eleven books of philosophical and personal reflections are in no particular order and display no obvious structure. Many of the philosophical positions that Marcus holds, and the arguments underpinning them, remain unstated but various remarks in the text and elsewhere (especially Marcus’s correspondence with his rhetoric tutor Fronto) make it clear that Marcus was committed to Stoicism. The Meditations contains numerous examples of someone trying to respond to problems in everyday life in the light of not just Stoic ethics but also Stoic physics and Stoic logic. Although Marcus quotes often from Plato and occasionally uses Platonic terminology his philosophical worldview remains thoroughly Stoic. He often quotes from the Stoic Epictetus, whom he explicitly acknowledges as an important influence, and he also quotes from Heraclitus, whose image of nature as everlasting fire influenced Stoic physics. How the Meditations were preserved after Marcus’s death and through the Middle Ages remains obscure, and the text did not attract any significant number of readers until the first printed edition in the 16th century. Since then it has proved especially popular with general readers although less so with professional philosophers. In the 17th and 18th centuries Henry More, the Third Earl of Shaftesbury, and Francis Hutcheson were all avid readers of Marcus. More recently he has been an important influence on Pierre Hadot’s account of philosophy as a way of life, which, in turn, influenced the late work of Michel Foucault.
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In the 1st century BCE, the previously unknown lecture notes that we now know as Aristotle’s works were rediscovered, and from then until the end of antiquity they received close attention from philosophers. Both committed followers of... more
In the 1st century BCE, the previously unknown lecture notes that we now know as Aristotle’s works were rediscovered, and from then until the end of antiquity they received close attention from philosophers. Both committed followers of Aristotle and Platonists who held that Aristotle was broadly in agreement with Plato wrote commentaries on his works. For the later Platonists in particular, writing commentaries on Aristotle (as well as Plato) became an established way of doing philosophy. Although some commentaries are lost and others survive only in fragments, a substantial number of often lengthy commentaries survive, filling twenty-three large volumes in the standard collection of the Greek texts. To these we can add the Latin commentaries of Boethius and more recent discoveries both in Greek and in Arabic translation. The commentaries are valuable for a number of reasons: for their interpretations of the fine details of Aristotle’s texts, for the philosophical contributions they make to the topics they discuss, and for the information they preserve about earlier philosophers whose works are otherwise lost.
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An autobiographical account of my own book collecting, focusing on early printed editions of Stoic authors and related texts.
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A brief note on Aldus's role in publishing commentaries on Aristotle, published as an appendix to the bibliographical guide in P. Adamson, H. Baltussen, M. Stone, eds, Philosophy, Science, and Exegesis in Greek, Arabic, and Latin... more
A brief note on Aldus's role in publishing commentaries on Aristotle, published as an appendix to the bibliographical guide in P. Adamson, H. Baltussen, M. Stone, eds, Philosophy, Science, and Exegesis in Greek, Arabic, and Latin Commentaries, Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, Suppl. 83/1 (2004), 239-68
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Distinct from the philosophy of medicine is the idea of philosophy as medicine. Might philosophy itself have some therapeutic value? I want to explore this question by looking at the way in which ancient Stoic philosophy claimed to be a... more
Distinct from the philosophy of medicine is the idea of philosophy as medicine. Might philosophy itself have some therapeutic value? I want to explore this question by looking at the way in which ancient Stoic philosophy claimed to be a form of therapy and also the perhaps unexpected way in which a number of key figures in the development of modern cognitive psychotherapy have cited Stoicism as a key influence on their work. In short I shall try to show both that ancient Stoic philosophy is itself a form of cognitive psychotherapy and that it stands behind modern forms of cognitive psychotherapy as well.
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John Sellars, Londra Üniversitesi (University of London) bünyesindeki Royal Holloway’in felsefe bölümünde öğretim görevlisidir ve Oxford-Wolfson Koleji’nin (Oxford-Wolfson College) bir üyesidir. Yaşama Sanatı: Felsefenin Doğası ve İşlevi... more
John Sellars, Londra Üniversitesi (University of London) bünyesindeki Royal Holloway’in felsefe bölümünde öğretim görevlisidir ve Oxford-Wolfson Koleji’nin (Oxford-Wolfson College) bir üyesidir. Yaşama Sanatı: Felsefenin Doğası ve İşlevi Üzerine Stoacılar (The Art of Li-ving: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy) (2003), Stoacılık (Stoicism) (2006) ve Helenistik Felsefe (Hellenistic Philosophy) (2018) başlıklı kitapların yazarı, Routledge’ın Stoacı Gelenek Rehberi (Routledge Handbook of the Stoic Tradition) (2016) başlıklı derlemenin editörü olan Sellars, Stoic Week ve Stoicon’un ardındaki Modern Stoicism grubunun kurucu üyelerinden biridir. Bu çalışmada Sellars’la Roma Stoacılığı ve Seneca üzerine yaptığımız kısa bir söyleşiyi sunmaktayız.
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John Sellars is a Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford. He is the author of The Art of Living: The Stoics and on the Nature and Function of Philosophy (2003; 2nd edn 2009), Stoicism (2006), and Hellenistic Philosophy (2018), and he is the editor of Routledge Handbook of the Stoic Tradition (2016). He is one of the founding members of 'Modern Stoicism', the group behind Stoic Week and Stoicon. We present a Short interview with John Sellars about Roman Stoicism and Seneca in this paper.
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John Sellars is a Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford. He is the author of The Art of Living: The Stoics and on the Nature and Function of Philosophy (2003; 2nd edn 2009), Stoicism (2006), and Hellenistic Philosophy (2018), and he is the editor of Routledge Handbook of the Stoic Tradition (2016). He is one of the founding members of 'Modern Stoicism', the group behind Stoic Week and Stoicon. We present a Short interview with John Sellars about Roman Stoicism and Seneca in this paper.