Below are readings that are to be completed before the start of "Session 4: Ethics"for Stoic Philosophy for the 21st Century.
Reading:
Cicero, Book IV of Tusculan Disputations (if short on time, focus on sections 5 through 15) (Web).
Epictetus, selections from The Discourses: 1.19 "On How We Should Behave Towards Tyrants," 2.13 "On Anxiety," 2.22 "On Friendship" (PDF).
Marcus Aurelius, Books V, IX, X, & XI in Meditations.
Optional:
A.A. Long, "Stoic Ethics" in Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics (PDF).
Chrysippus, fragments from On Passions via Galen's On the Doctrines of Hippocrates and Plato (PDF).
The Cicero can be found here: https://www.john-uebersax.com/plato/passions.htm. Some backdrop: Cicero is not a Stoic! He is a politician, orator, and Academic Sceptic (another ancient philosophical school) who is writing a commentary on ancient philosophical schools. Book IV, which we are reading, is largely about Stoic emotions, or "passions." Even though Cicero is often hostile to tenets of Stoicism and can be very critical of the school, he happens to be one of the better sources we have on early Stoicism since the only sources we have from Zeno and Chyrsippus are fragments, or repeated second-hand. Keep this in mind as you read; Cicero is providing some critical background on how Stoics classified the passions, but we still must take what he says with a grain of salt...
Selections from Epictetus' Discourses provide some insight into how a later Stoic might approach specific scenarios in politics and friendship. PDF is below.
Free online copies of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations can be found in the previous blog post titled "Primary Readings for Stoic Philosophy," or you can use your own physical copy if you purchased one.
*optional* If you are feeling a bit disoriented, it might be helpful to turn to one of the optional readings: "Stoic Ethics" by A.A. Long. Here, he provides a helpful overview of Stoic ethics and considers how ethics fit into the larger metaphysical and epistemological schema. PDF below.
*optional* Finally, if you are looking for a challenge, I have also attached some optional selections from Galen's On the Doctrines of Hippocrates and Plato. Galen, like Cicero, is one of our better sources on Chrysippus' contributions to the Stoa. Some scholars think Galen is quoting Chrysippus faithfully and accurately when he writes 'Chrysippus said the following: "...."', while others are divided and think we are presented with the same problem we face when we read Cicero. PDF below.
Reach out with questions or thoughts.
-S
