Description
After Plato and Aristotle, the Stoics, from the third century BCE onwards, developed the third great classical conception of wisdom. This book offers a reconstruction of this pivotal notion in Stoicism, starting out from the two extant Stoic definitions, 'knowledge of human and divine matters' and 'fitting expertise'. It focuses not only on the question of what they understood by wisdom, but also on how wisdom can be achieved, how difficult it is to become a sage, and how this difficulty can be explained. The answers to these questions are based on a fresh investigation of the evidence, with all central texts offered in the original Greek or Latin, as well as in translation. The Stoic Sage can thus also serve as a source book on Stoic wisdom, which should be invaluable to specialists and to anyone interested in one of the cornerstones of the Graeco-Roman classical tradition.
The first ever book-length study of the influential Stoic concept of wisdom.
About the Author
Rene Brouwer is a lecturer at Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, where he teaches on law and philosophy in the Faculty of Law. He works on theory of law and topics in ancient philosophy, with a special focus on Stoicism, its origins and reception, and the tradition of natural law.
Reviews
'This monograph by Rene Brouwer offers the best investigation to date of the (early) Stoic ideal of the sage and the Stoic conception of wisdom. It is an extremely solid and conscientious piece of work. The relevant sources, also ones that are lesser known, are given in the original Greek or Latin as well as in English translation, and interpreted with great care and precision, and appropriate caution. In doing so, Brouwer comprehensively considers the relevant scholarly literature, not just the more recent publications, and not just, as is common these days, those in English only. ... The author's undisputed expertise makes one hope that he will further investigate this topic, fuel more discussion, and bring about more insights.' Maximilian Forschner, translated from Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'[This book] offers many insights, and its main conclusions point, suggestively and fruitfully, to useful directions for further research.' Jacob Klein, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Book Information
ISBN 9781107641778
Author Rene Brouwer
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 314g
Dimensions(mm) 215mm * 138mm * 8mm
The first ever book-length study of the influential Stoic concept of wisdom.
About the Author
Rene Brouwer is a lecturer at Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, where he teaches on law and philosophy in the Faculty of Law. He works on theory of law and topics in ancient philosophy, with a special focus on Stoicism, its origins and reception, and the tradition of natural law.
Reviews
'This monograph by Rene Brouwer offers the best investigation to date of the (early) Stoic ideal of the sage and the Stoic conception of wisdom. It is an extremely solid and conscientious piece of work. The relevant sources, also ones that are lesser known, are given in the original Greek or Latin as well as in English translation, and interpreted with great care and precision, and appropriate caution. In doing so, Brouwer comprehensively considers the relevant scholarly literature, not just the more recent publications, and not just, as is common these days, those in English only. ... The author's undisputed expertise makes one hope that he will further investigate this topic, fuel more discussion, and bring about more insights.' Maximilian Forschner, translated from Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'[This book] offers many insights, and its main conclusions point, suggestively and fruitfully, to useful directions for further research.' Jacob Klein, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Book Information
ISBN 9781107641778
Author Rene Brouwer
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 314g
Dimensions(mm) 215mm * 138mm * 8mm
