Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction

Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction introduces Stoic philosophy, and explains how ancient Stoicism survived and evolved into the movement we see today. Exploring the roots of the school in the philosophy of 4th century bce Greece, it examines its basic history and doctrines and its relationship to the thought of Plato, Aristotle and his successors, and the Epicureans. Sketching the history of the school’s reception in the western tradition, it argues that, despite the differences between ancient and contemporary Stoics, there is a common core of philosophical insight that unites the modern version not just to Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, but also to the school’s original founders, Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus.