Description

Stoicism is two things a long past philosophical school of ancient Greece and Rome and an enduring philosophical movement that still inspires people in the twentyfirst century to rethink and reorganize their lives in order to achieve personal satisfaction What is the connection between them

This Very Short Introduction provides an introductory account of Stoic philosophy and tells the story of how ancient Stoicism survived and evolved into the movement we see today Exploring the roots of the school in the philosophy of fourth century BCE Greece Brad Inwood 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 schools reception in the western tradition he 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 schools original founders Zeno Cleanthes and Chrysippus Inwood concludes by considering the place of Stoicism in modern life