Roman Stoic thinkers in the imperial period adapted Greek doctrine to create a model of the self that served to connect philosophical ideals with traditional societal values. The Roman Stoics-the most prominent being Marcus Aurelius-engaged in rigorous self-examination that enabled them to integrate philosophy into the practice of living. Gretchen Reydams-Schils's innovative new book shows how these Romans applied their distinct brand of social ethics to everyday relations and responsibilities. The Roman Stoics reexamines the philosophical basis that instructed social practice (...) in friendship, marriage, parenting, and community. From this analysis emerge Stoics who were neither cold nor detached, as the stereotype has it, but all too aware of their human weaknesses. In a valuable contribution to current discussions in the humanities on identity, autonomy, and altruism, Reydams-Schils ultimately conveys the wisdom of Stoics to the citizens of modern society. (shrink)

Roman Stoics of the imperial period developed a distinctive model of social ethics, one which adapted the ideal philosophical life to existing communities and everyday societal values. Gretchen Reydams-Schils’s innovative book shows how these Romans—including such philosophers as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Hierocles, and Epictetus—applied their distinct brand of social ethics to daily relations and responsibilities, creating an effective model of involvement and ethical behavior in the classical world. _The Roman Stoics_ reexamines the philosophical basis that instructed social practice in friendship, (...) marriage, parenting, and community life. From this analysis, Stoics emerge as neither cold nor detached, as the stereotype has it, but all too aware of their human weaknesses. In a valuable contribution to current discussions in the humanities on identity, autonomy, and altruism, Reydams-Schils ultimately conveys the wisdom of Stoics to the citizens of modern society. (shrink)

Of the rich legacy of the Timaeus, this study deals with the cross-pollination between Stoic and Platonist readings of Timaeus, spanning the period from Plato's writings to that of the so-called Middle Platonist authors. Plato's Timaeus and Stoic doctrine had their fates intertwined from very early on, both in polemical and reconciliatory contexts. The blend of Platonic and Stoic elements ultimately constituted one of the main conceptual bridges between the pagan tradition on the one hand and the Judeo-Christian, in its (...) own search for the distinction between transcendence and immanence, on the other. Contrary to the received opinion, later platonist authors do not merely borrow Stoic terminology. Rather, in a genuine 'discourse of assimilation' the Stoic analysis of the universe has left a profound mark on Platonist views of the principles, of the place of humans in the universe, as well as of human freedom and its interaction with divine Providence. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie Jahrgang: 98 Heft: 3 Seiten: 364-368.

Like eavesdropping on an intimate exchange, these 40 vignettes evoke a conversation between two very different women about motherhood, intellectual aspirations, philosophy, and emotional and spiritual life.

This is the first study to assess in its entirety the fourth-century Latin commentary on Plato's Timaeus by the otherwise unknown Calcidius, also addressing features of his Latin translation. The first part examines the authorial voice of the commentator and the overall purpose of the work; the second part provides an overview of the key themes; and the third part reassesses the commentary's relation to Stoicism, Aristotle, potential sources, and the Christian tradition. This commentary was one of the main channels (...) through which the legacy of Plato and Greek philosophy was passed on to the Christian Latin West. The text, which also establishes a connection between Plato's cosmology and Genesis, thus represents a distinctive cultural encounter between the Greek and the Roman philosophical traditions, and between non-Christian and Christian currents of thought. (shrink)

Several decades of scholarship have demonstrated that Roman thinkers developed in new and stimulating directions the systems of thought they inherited from the Greeks, and that, taken together, they offer many perspectives that are of philosophical interest in their own right. The Oxford Handbook of Roman Philosophy explores a range of such Roman philosophical perspectives through thirty-four newly commissioned essays. Where Roman philosophy has long been considered a mere extension of Hellenistic systems of thought, this volume moves beyond the search (...) for sources and parallels and situates Roman philosophy in its distinctive cultural context. The Oxford Handbook of Roman Philosophy emphasizes four features of Roman philosophy: aspects of translation, social context, philosophical import, and literary style. The authors adopt an inclusive approach, treating not just systematic thinkers such as Cicero and Augustine, but also poets and historians. Topics covered include ethnicity, cultural identity, literary originality, the environment, Roman philosophical figures, epistemology, and ethics. (shrink)

La notion de « pensées de dieu », qui apparaît dans des textes médioplatoniciens et que l'on retrouve chez Sénèque et Épictète, permet de saisir comment ces auteurs comparent la connaissance humaine et la raison divine. Les développements de cette comparaison aident en outre à comprendre, d'une part, le rapport entre épistémologie et physique dans le stoïcisme et, d'autre part, les rapports entre ces deux domaines et l'éthique des relations sociales.

Cette contribution est le résumé d’une communication sur la notion de la matiere dans le commentaire de Calcidius sur le Timée de Platon. Pour arriver a un dualisme minimal, Calcidius (a) combine des éléments d’Aristote, des Stoiciens, et de Numénius, mais (b) rejette la notion qu’il attribue aux Hébreux, certains aspects de la notion de Numénius, et d’une notion qu’il attribue a certains Platoniciens.

James Warren analyzes Epicurus’ and Epicureans’ attitudes toward death in a dialogue with contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. His study is hard to put aside once one has started reading. The book’s structure flows very well, the reader finds anticipated questions addressed, and the arguments fit together seamlessly. This is top level work.

This paper brings Calcidius' 4th. c. AD Latin commentary on Plato's Timaeus into the fold of research on the methodological assumptions and hermeneutical practices of the ancient commentary tradition. The first part deals with the question of how Calcidius sets his role as a commentator in relation to the original text, to his audience, and to the Platonist tradition. The second part examines the organizing principles and structuring devices of the commentary, and what these can tell us about connections between (...) exegesis and worldview. As with many other commentaries, Calcidius' purpose becomes clearer if we approach him from a pedagogical angle. His practice, like most of the content of his commentary, appears to connect him to older layers of Platonism, pre-dating so-called Neoplatonism. It reveals a distinct authorial voice, of someone who is very conscious of his role as a cultural mediator and who has a philosophical line to pursue. (shrink)

Gretchen J. Reydams-Schils - Emotion and Peace of Mind: From Stoic Agitation to Christian Temptation - Journal of the History of Philosophy 40:2 Journal of the History of Philosophy 40.2 255-256 Book Review Emotion and Peace of Mind: From Stoic Agitation to Christian Temptation Richard Sorabji. Emotion and Peace of Mind: From Stoic Agitation to Christian Temptation. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Pp. x + 499. Cloth, $45.00. In his latest magisterial study Richard Sorabji casts his net much wider (...) than the title suggests, to give an overview of ancient theories on emotion, including views of the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle on catharsis, the Pyrrhonists, and the Epicureans, in addition to the material from the Stoics and Christian authors... (shrink)

We know enough about Posidonius' life to trace his wanderings: he was born into a wealthy and influential family in Apamea, Syria; he went through all the steps of an Hellenistic education; in Athens he encountered his Stoic teacher Panaetius; and finally he settled—except for some travelling throughout the Mediterranean and to Rome—in the high society of Rhodes, where he actively participated in political life and headed a Stoic school.

We know enough about Posidonius' life to trace his wanderings: he was born into a wealthy and influential family in Apamea, Syria; he went through all the steps of an Hellenistic education; in Athens he encountered his Stoic teacher Panaetius; and finally he settled—except for some travelling throughout the Mediterranean and to Rome—in the high society of Rhodes, where he actively participated in political life and headed a Stoic school.

On peut difficilement contester l’importance de la traduction du Timée (17a-53c) par un certain Calcidius, accompagnée d’un commentaire d’une section plus courte (31c-53c), datant du ive siècle de notre ère. Comme le note Béatrice Bakhouche (p. 58), ce texte est, avec le Commentaire au Songe de Scipion de Macrobe, les Noces de Mercure et Philologie de Martianus Capella et la Consolation de Philosophie de Boèce, un des quatre « maîtres-livres‑» qui ont assuré la transmission de l’héritage phil...

Dans cet ouvrage important et original, David Sedley examine les systèmes philosophiques de l’Antiquité qui défendent l’idée d’une cause divine pour l’ori­gine du monde (d’où la notion de creationism) et ceux qui n’admettent pas une intervention de ce genre. Le livre comporte sept chapitres, sur Anaxagore, Empédocle, Socrate, Platon, les atomistes (Démocrite et Épicure), Aristote, et les stoïciens, avec un épilogue sur Galien. Le livre est déjà l’un des plus discutés sur ce sujet, et a ouvert...