Gretchen Reydams-Schils – författare

An inviting new translation of essential selections from Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, distilling the timeless wisdom of one of Stoicism’s most influential worksHow do you keep calm when the world seems to be falling apart around you? When Marcus Aurelius was emperor, the Roman Empire was at the height of its power and prosperity, but it also suffered flood, famine, plague, and endless wars. He was frequently away from the capitol leading his legions in battle, and he died in an army camp. To cope with the enormous pressures he faced, Marcus Aurelius turned to the philosophy of Stoicism, writing brief passages to reflect on its ideas and strategies for putting challenges in perspective. The result was the Meditations, a profound and moving work about the human condition. Elegant, spiritual, and by turns serious and humorous, this masterpiece of Stoicism still resonates powerfully today. How to Be Stoic offers a fresh, fluid, and engaging translation of its most stirring and important passages.Gretchen Reydams-Schils, a leading authority on Roman Stoicism, has carefully chosen and skillfully translated passages that exemplify the key themes of the Meditations, from everyday irritations such as encountering difficult people to existential worries such as the fear of death. How to Be Stoic also features a substantial and authoritative introduction and the original Greek text on facing pages. The result is perhaps the most accessible edition of the Meditations available.

Several decades of scholarship have demonstrated that Roman thinkers developed in new and stimulating directions the systems of thought they inherited from the Greeks, and that, taken together, they offer many perspectives that are of philosophical interest in their own right. The Oxford Handbook of Roman Philosophy explores a range of such Roman philosophical perspectives through thirty-four newly commissioned essays. Where Roman philosophy has long been considered a mere extension of Hellenistic systems of thought, this volume moves beyond the search for sources and parallels and situates Roman philosophy in its distinctive cultural context.The Oxford Handbook of Roman Philosophy emphasizes four features of Roman philosophy: aspects of translation, social context, philosophical import, and literary style. The authors adopt an inclusive approach, treating not just systematic thinkers such as Cicero and Augustine, but also poets and historians. Topics covered include ethnicity, cultural identity, literary originality, the environment, Roman philosophical figures, epistemology, and ethics.

Roman Stoics of the imperial period developed a distinctive model of social ethics, one which adapted the ideal philosophical life to existing communities and everyday societal values. Gretchen Reydams-Schils's innovative book shows how these Romans - including such philosophers as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Hierocles, and Epictetus - applied their distinct brand of social ethics to daily relations and responsibilities, creating an effective model of involvement and ethical behavior in the classical world. "The Roman Stoics" reexamines the philosophical basis that instructed social practice in friendship, marriage, parenting, and community life. From this analysis, Stoics emerge as neither cold nor detached, as the stereotype has it, but all too aware of their human weaknesses. In a valuable contribution to current discussions in the humanities on identity, autonomy, and altruism, Reydams-Schils ultimately conveys the wisdom of Stoics to the citizens of modern society.

Roman Stoics of the imperial period developed a distinctive model of social ethics, one which adapted the ideal philosophical life to existing communities and everyday societal values. Gretchen Reydams-Schils's innovative book shows how these Romans - including such philosophers as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Hierocles, and Epictetus - applied their distinct brand of social ethics to daily relations and responsibilities, creating an effective model of involvement and ethical behavior in the classical world. "The Roman Stoics" reexamines the philosophical basis that instructed social practice in friendship, marriage, parenting, and community life. From this analysis, Stoics emerge as neither cold nor detached, as the stereotype has it, but all too aware of their human weaknesses. In a valuable contribution to current discussions in the humanities on identity, autonomy, and altruism, Reydams-Schils ultimately conveys the wisdom of Stoics to the citizens of modern society.

In recent years, Plato's Timaeus has recaptured the interest of scholars, sparking an exploration of the astonishing influence this work has had on a wide range of intellectual traditions. Plato's Timaeus as Cultural Icon brings together a group of leading experts from Canada, the United States, and Europe to examine the reception of Plato's Timaeus throughout history, as well as its impact on major intellectual and cultural traditions.Gretchen J. Reydams-Schils's enlightening introduction tackles the issue of why the Timaeus has enjoyed such tremendous cultural status and sets the stage for the many topics covered in this volume, which include an assessment of the Timaeus's influence on Plato's successors, an examination of how it became connected to traditions of sacred texts, an analysis of the "mind-body problem," the tradition of music and its relation to philosophy, the cultural impact of Calcidius's Latin translation of the work, and the interaction between the Timaeus and Islamic philosophy. As a collaborative effort of expert philosophers, classicists, and historians, this remarkable book serves as a wonderful starting point and research tool for anyone with an interest in Plato's Timaeus.

In recent years, Plato's Timaeus has recaptured the interest of scholars, sparking an exploration of the astonishing influence this work has had on a wide range of intellectual traditions. Plato's Timaeus as Cultural Icon brings together a group of leading experts from Canada, the United States, and Europe to examine the reception of Plato's Timaeus throughout history, as well as its impact on major intellectual and cultural traditions.Gretchen J. Reydams-Schils's enlightening introduction tackles the issue of why the Timaeus has enjoyed such tremendous cultural status and sets the stage for the many topics covered in this volume, which include an assessment of the Timaeus's influence on Plato's successors, an examination of how it became connected to traditions of sacred texts, an analysis of the "mind-body problem," the tradition of music and its relation to philosophy, the cultural impact of Calcidius's Latin translation of the work, and the interaction between the Timaeus and Islamic philosophy. As a collaborative effort of expert philosophers, classicists, and historians, this remarkable book serves as a wonderful starting point and research tool for anyone with an interest in Plato's Timaeus.

This is the first study to assess in its entirety the fourth-century Latin commentary on Plato's Timaeus by the otherwise unknown Calcidius, also addressing features of his Latin translation. The first part examines the authorial voice of the commentator and the overall purpose of the work; the second part provides an overview of the key themes; and the third part reassesses the commentary's relation to Stoicism, Aristotle, potential sources, and the Christian tradition. This commentary was one of the main channels through which the legacy of Plato and Greek philosophy was passed on to the Christian Latin West. The text, which also establishes a connection between Plato's cosmology and Genesis, thus represents a distinctive cultural encounter between the Greek and the Roman philosophical traditions, and between non-Christian and Christian currents of thought.