The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics

This unique volume offers an odyssey through the ideas of the Stoics in three particular ways: first, through the historical trajectory of the school itself and its influence; second, through the recovery of the history of Stoic thought; third, through the ongoing confrontation with Stoicism, showing how it refines philosophical traditions, challenges the imagination, and ultimately defines the kind of life one chooses to lead. A distinguished roster of specialists have written an authoritative guide to the entire philosophical tradition. The first two chapters chart the history of the school in the ancient world, and are followed by chapters on the core themes of the Stoic system: epistemology, logic, natural philosophy, theology, determinism, and metaphysics. There are two chapters on what might be thought of as the heart and soul of the Stoics system: ethics.

• Unique survey of the full range of Stoic philosophy • Distinguished roster of contributors

Introduction: Stoicism: an intellectual odyssey Brad Inwood; 1. The school, from Zeno to Arius Didymus David Sedley; 2. The school in the Roman imperial period Christopher Gill; 3. Stoic epistemology R. J. Hankinson; 4. Stoic logic Susanne Bobzien; 5. Stoic natural philosophy (physics and cosmology) Michael J. White; 6. Stoic theology Keimpe Algra; 7. Stoic determinism Dorothea Frede; 8. Stoic metaphysics Jacques Brunschwig; 9. Stoic ethics Malcolm Schofield; 10. Stoic moral psychology Tad Brennan; 11. Stoicism and medicine R. J. Hankinson; 12. The stoic contribution to traditional grammar David Blank and Catherine Atherton; 13. The stoics and the astronomical sciences Alexander Jones; 14. Stoic naturalism and its critics T. H. Irwin; 15. Stoicism in the philosophical tradition: Spinoza, Lipsius, Butler A. A. Long.

\'There is nothing but good to say of this book. For a start, it is excellently organized … it should go without saying that the quality of the scholarship is outstanding … the chapters are very easy to read, and yet draw you on to improve your grasp of the topic and the pertinent issues … No knowledge of ancient languages is assumed, but the clarity of the contributions means that even hardened scholars will profit from the book … there could be no better introduction to Stoicism than this book.\' – Heythrop Journal