John Sellars – författare

Vad innebär det att vara stoiker i dag; på vilket sätt kan antika levnadsråd hjälpa oss? Den som läser den här kärnfulla boken kommer att märka att stoicismen lära om det goda livet har häpnadsväckande aktuella råd om det allra mesta vi möter i livet – motgångar, vilsenhet, destruktiva känslor, utanförskap. 

Du kanske trodde att en stoiker var en isolerad och känslokall person. Tvärtom visar boken att stoicismen är en utåtriktad lära med en positiv människosyn. Dess grundtanke är att det finns en enda aspekt av tillvaron vi kan kontrollera: vårt omdöme. Det betyder att vi kan välja hur vi bemöter det vi stöter på i tillvaron. 

Inte undra på att läran tjusade antikens kejsare och slavar tillika, influerat kristendom och KBT, och att många av dagens stoiker vittnar om den energi och entusiasm som läran ger.

”Med en elegant och ekonomisk prosa visar Sellars hur vi kan bli bättre och lyckligare.”Guardian 

”Underbart klar och koncis.” Mail on Sunday 

Vad innebär det att vara stoiker i dag; på vilket sätt kan antika levnadsråd hjälpa oss? Den som läser den här kärnfulla boken kommer att märka att stoicismen lära om det goda livet har häpnadsväckande aktuella råd om det allra mesta vi möter i livet – motgångar, vilsenhet, destruktiva känslor, utanförskap. 

Du kanske trodde att en stoiker var en isolerad och känslokall person. Tvärtom visar boken att stoicismen är en utåtriktad lära med en positiv människosyn. Dess grundtanke är att det finns en enda aspekt av tillvaron vi kan kontrollera: vårt omdöme. Det betyder att vi kan välja hur vi bemöter det vi stöter på i tillvaron. 

Inte undra på att läran tjusade antikens kejsare och slavar tillika, influerat kristendom och KBT, och att många av dagens stoiker vittnar om den energi och entusiasm som läran ger.

”Med en elegant och ekonomisk prosa visar Sellars hur vi kan bli bättre och lyckligare.”Guardian 

”Underbart klar och koncis.” Mail on Sunday 

Den hellenistiska perioden var en filosofiskt rik och intressant tid. Skolor som stoicism, epikurism och skepticism formade nya sätt att tänka om människans plats i världen – alltid med det stabila, fria och meningsfulla livet som ideal. Hellenistisk filosofi är en rik skildring av den hellenistiska tanketraditionen och den värld i vilken den tog form. Den brittiske filosofen John Sellars visar varför perioden länge underskattats, trots att den rymmer idéer som känns förvånansvärt moderna. Centrala frågor om kunskap, själen, det goda livet, fri vilja och döden illustreras med exempel från nyckelfigurer som Epikuros, Zenon, Krysippos, Karneades och Cicero. Genom Sellars blick framstår de gamla grekerna inte alls som särskilt gamla.

In this new study, John Sellars offers a fresh examination of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations as a work of philosophy by placing it against the background of the tradition of Stoic philosophy to which Marcus was committed.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is a perennial bestseller, attracting countless readers drawn to its unique mix of philosophical reflection and practical advice. The emperor is usually placed alongside Seneca and Epictetus as one of three great Roman Stoic authors, but he wears his philosophy lightly, not feeling the need to state explicitly the ideas standing behind the reflections that he was writing for himself. As a consequence, his standing as a philosopher has often been questioned. Challenging claims that Marcus Aurelius was merely an eclectic thinker, that the Meditations do not fit the model of a work of philosophy, that there are no arguments in the work, and that it only contains superficial moral advice, Sellars shows that he was in constant dialogue with his Stoic predecessors, engaging with themes drawn from all three parts of Stoicism: logic, physics, and ethics. The image of Marcus Aurelius that emerges is of a committed Stoic, engaging with a wide range of philosophical topics, motivated by the desire to live a good life.

This volume will be of interest to scholars and students of both Classics and Philosophy.

This new edition of Stoicism provides an introduction to one of the most influential schools of philosophy in antiquity, the influence of which has persisted to the present day.

Originating in Athens around 300 BCE, Stoicism flourished for some five hundred years and has remained a constant presence throughout the history of Western philosophy. This new revised edition takes into account the wealth of scholarship that has been published in the last 20 years and the explosion of interest in Stoicism as a practical guide for living today. It begins with a complete introduction to the ancient Stoics, their works, and how they formulated their own philosophical system. The chapters then thoroughly examine the three core branches of Stoic philosophical doctrine – logic, physics, and ethics – while the final chapter provides an account of the Stoic legacy from later antiquity to now. The book also includes a chronology, useful glossaries, and a guide to further reading.

This accessible, authoritative guide is an ideal introduction to the philosophy of Stoicism that stands behind much of the practical advice offered by Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, suitable for students and general readers.

Brought to you by Penguin. What aspects of your life do you really control? What do you do when you cannot guarantee that things will turn out in your favour? And what can Stoicism teach us about how to live together?In the past few years, Stoicism has been making a comeback. But what exactly did the Stoics believe? In Lessons in Stoicism, philosopher John Sellars weaves together the key ideas of the three great Roman Stoics - Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius - with snapshots of their fascinating lives, to show us how their ideas can help us today. In vivid prose, Sellars shows how the works of these three Stoics have inspired readers ever since, speaking as they do to some of the perennial issues that face anyone trying to navigate their way through life. Their works, fundamentally, are about how to live - how to understand one''s place in the world, how to cope when things don''t go well, how to manage one''s emotions and how to behave towards others. Consoling and inspiring, Lessons in Stoicism is a deeply thoughtful guide to the philosophy of a valuable life.

In this new study, John Sellars offers a fresh examination of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations as a work of philosophy by placing it against the background of the tradition of Stoic philosophy to which Marcus was committed.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is a perennial bestseller, attracting countless readers drawn to its unique mix of philosophical reflection and practical advice. The emperor is usually placed alongside Seneca and Epictetus as one of three great Roman Stoic authors, but he wears his philosophy lightly, not feeling the need to state explicitly the ideas standing behind the reflections that he was writing for himself. As a consequence, his standing as a philosopher has often been questioned. Challenging claims that Marcus Aurelius was merely an eclectic thinker, that the Meditations do not fit the model of a work of philosophy, that there are no arguments in the work, and that it only contains superficial moral advice, Sellars shows that he was in constant dialogue with his Stoic predecessors, engaging with themes drawn from all three parts of Stoicism: logic, physics, and ethics. The image of Marcus Aurelius that emerges is of a committed Stoic, engaging with a wide range of philosophical topics, motivated by the desire to live a good life.

This volume will be of interest to scholars and students of both Classics and Philosophy.

This new edition of Stoicism provides an introduction to one of the most influential schools of philosophy in antiquity, the influence of which has persisted to the present day.

Originating in Athens around 300 BCE, Stoicism flourished for some five hundred years and has remained a constant presence throughout the history of Western philosophy. This new revised edition takes into account the wealth of scholarship that has been published in the last 20 years and the explosion of interest in Stoicism as a practical guide for living today. It begins with a complete introduction to the ancient Stoics, their works, and how they formulated their own philosophical system. The chapters then thoroughly examine the three core branches of Stoic philosophical doctrine – logic, physics, and ethics – while the final chapter provides an account of the Stoic legacy from later antiquity to now. The book also includes a chronology, useful glossaries, and a guide to further reading.

This accessible, authoritative guide is an ideal introduction to the philosophy of Stoicism that stands behind much of the practical advice offered by Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, suitable for students and general readers.