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 twenty-first century to re-think and re-organize 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 school's 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 school's original founders, Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus. Inwood concludes by considering the place of Stoicism in modern life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

About the Author
Brad Inwood teaches ancient philosophy at Yale University, where he moved in 2015 after many years at the University of Toronto. Educated in Ontario, at Brock University and the University of Toronto, he benefited from a year of post-graduate research at Cambridge and a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford, as well as research fellowships at the National Humanities Centre and the Centre for Advanced Study in the Behavioural Sciences. While most of his research has been devoted to Stoicism, he has also worked on the Presocratic Empedocles and on other areas of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy.

Reviews
Stoicismis a wonderful guidebook to the essential concepts and basic precepts animating this most popular of the Hellenistic schools of wisdom. ... Specialists eager for a refresher course will find no better place from which to launch a reexamination. This is an eminently useful addition to the "Very Short Introductions" series. Summing up: Highly recommended * CHOICE *
Brad Inwood's "short introduction" offers an incisive overview of how Stoicism developed - and why it might still be relevant. * Times Higher Education *
In sprightly prose, Brad Inwood maps the doctrines and personalities of ancient Stoicism. His book is particularly good at assessing this history and philosophy for today's aspiring stoics. * A.A. Long, Emeritus Professor, University of California, Berkeley *
This is an indispensable book. In a short compass, Inwood recounts the history and philosophical theory of Stoicism in a memorable, crisp, and deservedly authoritative way. He also does something important for the popular revival of stoicism now underway. Inwood's treatment of all of this is illuminating, balanced, and concise. * Lawrence C. Becker, Author of A New Stoicism *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198786665
Author Brad Inwood
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 129g
Dimensions(mm) 175mm * 114mm * 9mm