Lessons in Stoicism

Lessons in Stoicism

What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live

Summary

'Excellent. . . Sellars gives a lucid, easy-to-follow account of what Stoicism as a way of life amounts to, and how you might start to put it into practice' Nigel Warburton

How can Stoicism inspire us to lead more enjoyable lives?


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 good life.

Reviews

  • Lessons in Stoicism distils key Stoic tenets, insofar as they can help contemporary readers, into under 100 small pages. Sellars achieves the task he sets himself admirably. In elegant, economical prose, he urges us to become better, happier people by focusing on rational decision-making
    Tim Whitmarsh, Guardian

About the author

John Sellars

John Sellars is a Reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford. He is the author of Lessons in Stoicism and The Fourfold Remedy. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages.
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