Stoic Virtues: Chrysippus and the Religious Character of Stoic Ethics

ISBN-13: 9781441197948 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 244 str.

Christoph Jedan; Christoph Jedan

Opis

Like its ancient rivals, Stoic ethics was a form of virtue ethics, yet while the concept of virtue was clearly central to Stoic ethics, the concept of Stoic virtue has not yet been fully explored. Instead, the existing literature tends to impose on the Stoic material philosophically quite alien non-Aristotelian interpretations of virtue. According to Christoph Jedan, however, a thorough examination of the Stoic concept of virtue leads to a reassessment of our understanding of Stoic ethics. This book emphasises in particular the theological underpinning of Stoic ethics, which Jedan contends has been underestimated in current accounts of Stoic ethics. Jedan argues that the theological motifs in Stoic ethics are in fact pivotal to a complete understanding of Stoic ethics. The book focuses on Chrysippus, the most important of the early Stoic thinkers, suggesting that his contribution, and in particular its religious aspect, remained a key point of reference for later Stoics. This fascinating book makes a crucial contribution to the field of ancient ethics.

Spis treści

Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction Part I: A Religious World-View 1. Stoic Corporealism 2. Stoic Theology 3. Two Pictures of Fate Part II: Virtue and the Virtues 4. Definitions of Virtue 5. The Virtues as Epistemai 6. The Virtues: Different Yet Inseparable 7. A Catalogue of Virtues Part III: Becoming Virtuous 8. Vice and the Attainability of Virtue 9. Initiation 10. Virtue and Happiness Part IV: Practices of Virtues 11. Law and Rules 12. The Single Kathekon and the Versatility of Stoic Prescriptions Epilogue Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Notes Bibliography Index of Cited Passages General Index