April 14
Monday, April 14, 2025Plenary
Ancient Stoicism: From Greece to Rome
Our class sessions this week provide an introduction to Stoicism, a school of philosophy in the ancient world spanning almost 500 years that underwent considerable development from its origins in Greece through to its expansion to Rome. We'll focus in this unit on the writings of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius (the so-called "Roman Stoics") from the later period of Stoicism. In today's class we'll discuss the theoretical underpinnings of the Stoics' approach to the good life, focusing on their views on nature in Seneca's On the Happy Life.
Goals
Goals
- Be able to situate the Stoics in their time and place
- Distinguish between earlier (mainly Greek) Stoicism and later (mainly Roman) Stoicism
- Form a good sense for the theoretical background of the Stoics’ approach to the good life
- Understand the basic ideas and principles that Seneca and other Roman Stoics promote
Before Class
- Develop a sense for the Stoics’ understanding of the good life from this week’s video lectures and the assigned reading by Seneca, and come prepared to class with questions/comments for discussion!
After Class
Further Resources
Further Resources
- “Stoicism” – entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Dirk Baltzly)
- “Seneca” – entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Katja Vogt)
- “To Be Happier, Focus On What’s Within Your Control” – short and accessible piece for Aeon Magazine on a core tenet of Epictetus’ view of the good life (Massimo Pigliucci)