Thuyết khắc kỷ

Ancient Philosophies

by John Sellars, Đinh Hồng Phúc (Translator)

“Cuốn sách dẫn nhập xuất sắc nhất về thuyết khắc kỷ

Đâu là tốt đâu là xấu? Đầu là quý đâu là tiện? Sinh mệnh này của ta có ý nghĩa gì? Hạnh phúc của ta nằm ở đâu?

Đã có ai đến với cuộc đời này mà không từng băn khoản trăn trở trước những câu hỏi như vậy. Hãy thử một lần cùng các nhà khắc kỷ bước vào hành trình suy tư chiêm nghiệm, để tìm cho mình các câu trả lời. Để thấy rằng trong cõi thể nhân sinh, bản thể, tri giác, thể tạng, linh hồn cũng như số mệnh ta chỉ là một dòng sông huyễn mộng. Sinh mệnh của ta, đời sống của ta chỉ là một hành trình nơi đất lạ, rồi cuối cùng sẽ chìm vào lãng quên. Để thấy rằng hầu như mọi bất hạnh trên đời đều bắt nguồn từ việc ta nghĩ rằng mình có thể kiểm soát được mọi thứ, trong khi thực ra ta đã đặt lầm hạnh phúc của mình vào những thứ ở ngoài ta, những thứ ta không thể kiểm soát được. Vậy nên chiếc chia khóa cho hạnh phúc không nằm ở đâu khác mà nằm trong chính tư tưởng của ta, chỉ cần ta có thể phân biệt đúng đắn những gì “thuộc về ta” và “không thuộc về ta”.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Personal Development, Spirituality, Self Help, Ancient History

388 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Scriptor Ignotus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although today Stoicism is celebrated primarily as an ethical philosophy, John Sellars's introduction demonstrates that Stoic thought was, in the time of its flourishing from the third century BC to the third century AD, a far more comprehensive intellectual system than it is commonly given credit for. The famed Stoic ethical practices were one aspect of a much broader worldview, and Stoic thinkers made important contributions to logic, etymology, and physics, as well as to ethics. In the field of logic, for example, they complemented Aristotelian syllogisms, which are based on objects or terms, with syllogistic logic that is based on propositions. Sellars discusses each of these areas in turn after giving us a brief overview of the lives of its most important thinkers.

The Stoics were thoroughly materialistic (as opposed to idealistic), naturalistic, and empirical. Deriving from the Cynics, the Stoics conceived of everything "real" as having some sort of material substance. As with the Cynics, Stoic ideas revolved around the supremacy of "nature" as an organizing principle. As materialists, they tended to reject anything that we might classify as forms of reification: the elevation of intangible ideas and meanings to the status of objectively extant things.

This is perhaps best demonstrated by one of the more peculiar Stoic teachings: their rejection of meaning itself as something that exists and can be identified or created by language. They acknowledged a distinction between nonsensical "utterances" that have no intrinsic meaning, and "sayables", which are utterances that express a certain meaning. However, these apparent meanings were taken by the Stoics to be incorporeal and were therefore classified as things that merely "subsist", as opposed to things that exist. The meanings of sayables have no body, and as naturalists, the Stoics saw bodies as the only things that could act or be acted upon. Sellars illustrates how bizarre this claim is in the following way: if someone makes a statement with meaning, such as "watch out, the tree is falling", the meaning of these words does not exist, and therefore they should not cause the recipient of the message to do anything at all.

So why, then, do people clearly act in response to verbal communication if the meaning of these communications doesn't exist? The Stoics have an entirely materialist and "body-based" answer: physical utterances cause an impression on the soul of the recipient (the soul is thought of as a material body by the Stoics, in a manner I think similar to how Aristotle thought of it), and the choice of the recipient to act on that phantasmic impression is what causes him to react.

The rigid naturalism of the Stoics made their philosophy highly deterministic, and their ethical system was largely a method of reconciling a rather flimsy conception of the individual to the unimpedible power of nature. Fundamentally, Stoic ethical teaching instructs us to recognize what is and is not in our control. They believed that virtually all human misery was caused by a failure to properly make this distinction. Nature will be what it is, but there is still room for individual happiness if we are able to reconcile ourselves to the indifference of nature on the inside. The Stoics are commonly thought to have tried to suppress all of their emotions, but this isn't really the case. They accepted the naturalness and inevitability of "knee-jerk" emotional reactions; the sudden seizure of the passions, flights of fear, and the like. These initial reactions are natural, but the Stoics saw sustained emotional distress as a choice, wrongfully but willingly entered into by the ignorant.

Much like Socrates and Plato, the Stoics believed that virtue is constituted by knowledge; meaning that unethical behavior stems from ignorance of the truth rather than any genuine malicious intent on the part of the wrongdoer. That the Stoics would take such a position is interesting, because they also stressed the notion that virtue is something that needs to be practiced and cultivated, in addition to being merely theorized about. But if one knew the theory of Stoic virtue perfectly well at a theoretical level, and virtue is constituted by knowledge, then wouldn't they naturally lead a perfectly virtuous and ethical life? Why the emphasis on practice when merely knowing about proper ethics wills us to ethical behavior? The answer seems to be that the Stoics saw practical application as the summation of knowledge; the capstone of theoretical learning. One couldn't be said to have knowledge about ethics until they actually practiced proper ethics.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Some things are up to us, whilst others are not up to us. Up to us are conception, choice, desire, aversion and, in a word, everything that is our doing; not up to us are our body, our property, reputation, office and, in a word, everything that is not our doing. Furthermore, the things up to us are by nature free, unhindered and unimpeded; while the things not up to us are weak, servile, subject to hindrance and not our own." - Epictetus, Enchiridion.

Sellars offers a thorough history and introduction to Stoicism. By introducing the philosophical school through descriptions of the Stoics themselves, Sellars is able to formulate the evolution of Stoicism through the ages: starting with the early Stoics, Zeno and Chrysippus, to the later Stoics such as Seneca and Epictetus, finishing with the likes of Cicero and Plutarch, who did not outwardly practice the philosophy, but were interested in its ideas.

One of the difficulties which Sellars explores is the availability of primary sources on the philosophy and practice of Stoicism. During the early Stoic period (300BC - 200BC), Chrysippus wrote copiously on the Stoic tradition. This declined with Epictetus as the figurehead of the school. Although Epictetus has two attributed texts: Discourse (Dissertations) and the Handbook (Enchiridion), these are actually by Arrian, who recited what he remembered from the lectures by Epictetus. Epictetus was ambivalent towards school texts, instead suggesting that one should exhibit his or her abilities not in fine words but in fine deeds.

'Philosophy is no trick to catch the public; it is not devised for show. It is a matter, not of words, but of facts[…] it moulds and constructs the soul; it orders our life, guides our conduct, shows us what we should do and what we should leave undone'.

Once this has been covered, Sellars explores the Stoic system, first by reiterating the idea of Epictetus that Stoicism is an art (techne) that transforms one's way of life: that Virtue is the key to happiness, regardless of circumstance. Upon reaching this, one will be a Stoic sage. This person will infallible, more powerful than everyone else, richer, stronger, free, happier, and the only person truly deserving the title "King".

Lastly, Sellars examines the legacy of Stoicism, in which he chronologically explores the undulating interest in the philosophy and practice of Stoicism, bringing in examples such as the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian, closing the last pagan school in Athens, to the resurgence of interest in Cicero, during the Renaissance.

[Tanvika · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Philosophy is a medicine to cure the disease of the soul.' Stoicism is meant to free us from false views, heady emotions. It is an art which is to be both understood and practiced(spiritual exercises). The ideals to be virtuous are quite high, even seemingly unattainable like Socrates, Cato.

We come to the philosophical part of stoicism. It contains logic, physics and ethics.

Logic differs from the Aristotle syllogism. It contains if and then propositions. The source of knowledge is basically derived from experience and written down in form of propositions. These statements are either assented or rejected based on the clear, accurate nature of the impressions we receive.

The physics is chiefly materialistic like the body. It also has incorporeal like void, time,space and sayables. God is nature with consciousness. It reminded me of Spinoza's philosophical god. The soul is partially materialistic. Consciousness is not derived from the body. It bears some similarity to the charvaka's notion of a material soul.
Another important debate dealt in this is regarding freewill and determinism.The stoics try to overcome the conflict by using the argument of this world being the best of possible world made by God when we see holistically.

Ethics: the stoics had a theory of self preservation which states that people follow ethics which helps in maximizing their interest as good, while damaging things as bad.virtue is thus a route to happiness. Though it sounds too crude, it is in fact the following of virtue . For eg if a dictator begans ruling the country, I may still be openly critical about him. This is because subjugation will damage my pscyhological freedom. In certain cases even suicide is also justified like Socrates, Senecas death.
On emotions,the stoics consider unbridled delight or sorrow to be caused by wrong perception. They can be cured by applying rationality to the impression we receive. It has similarities with Buddhist idea of giving up attachment to concepts, so as to be able to accept the reality of things.

Recurring paragraphs and excessive detailing may be a barrier for the layman. A comprehensive bibliography further aroused my interest to know about the works of stoic philosophers.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an incredible book. amid the clamor of books on the market claiming to grapple with the proper way to live life, this is one to consider seriously. for stoics, philosophy is something to live, not to memorize or to attach as a credential. all activities and decisions in life can be evaluated according to their classification among three types: the 'good', which is the adoption of virtue; the 'indifferent', which may be of value in life such as health or wealth but do not form part of the 'good'; the 'bad', which is the abandonment of virtue. our primary calling is to live by virtue and to live up to our essence as rational beings. this book holds the reader by hand, and is definitely not a turgid tome. yet compared to the flood of self-help books it is sadly disadvantaged for capturing a popular audience by its association with an academic press.

[Leo Horovitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to Stoicism and a very easy read. The general organization of the book resembles that found in Cynics from the same series. It begins with a brief overview of the development of Stoicism through the centuries, from the 4th century BCE to the movement's seeming decline in the 3rd century CE. After this initial chapter follows a chapter on the overview of the Stoic system of philosophy, three chapters dedicated to the main parts of this system, namely: logic, physics, and ethics; and finally, a concluding chapter on the influences of Stoicism on later philosophy.

Stoicism constitutes a very interesting school of philosophy, sharing ideas with Cynicism in the views concerning the good life, in the idea of living according with nature, in the view of virtue being the only real good, but adding a system of theoretical philosophy in areas such as logic and physics, subjects which the Cynics disregarded completely.

Stoic logic is a subject worthy of attention, it presents a complement to Aristotle's syllogisms in that it deals with propositional logic, which the inventor of logic left out completely. Other interesting strands of thought are found in their idea of lekta. A lekton is that which a word means, which is distinct from that to which it refers. This distinction resembles the one made some 2000 years later by Gottlob Frege. Another interesting side of this is the fact that the Stoic conception of physics and metaphysics is such that only matter exists, which poses a problem for these lekta, which are somehow "real" in that they are that which is meant by words, but still don't exist, in that they are not material. The Stoics try to get out of the problem by saying that they "subsist". Other things that are somehow real but not material and hence not existent are time, space and the void, all of which are said to subsist. This connects to the discussion concerning sentences referring to non-existent entities, active in the early 20th century and something in which Bertrand Russell was engaged. The problem of the what sentences like "The current king of France" refer to was said to be something which did not exist, but nevertheless subsisted. Russell had a different solution to sentences such as this, but this is way beyond the discussion of the topic of this book, the point is that there are seemingly many interesting areas of philosophy where Stoics have ideas which arise again many centuries later. Another such interesting example concerns their view of god. The Stoic god is pantheistic, it is somehow identical to nature and permeates it throughout. This is also connected to a conception of nature as completely deterministic and without any room for free will. Those at least vaguely familiar with the history of philosophy should start thinking about Spinoza right about now.

The only thing that is a bit irritating about the book is that the author sometimes repeats himself needlessly, this affects the reading experience at times (though not too much), an experience which is otherwise a thoroughly pleasant. Highly recommended for philosophers and non-philosophers alike.

[Juan Basto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explica muy facil y claro lo que es el estoicismo. Para una persona que apenas tiene conocimientos de filosofía como yo ha resultado útil.

[Tom Uytterhoeven · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good: John Sellars delivers what he promises to do, namely to introduce his readers to the basics of stoicism. When you have finished this book, you will have basic knowledge of the history of stoicism, stoic views on nature and ethics, and the relation between stoicism and later developments in philosophy. A glossary of names and terms, and a reading list add to the resources Sellars offers his readers. The book is well written, and clearly structured.
The not so good: the Kindle edition is littered with typos. "Thie", "Hie", "He", etc. are all variations of what is commonly known as "The", for instance. That costs the book, in its Kindle edition, one star. If you are interested in this publication, you might want to check the paperback edition.

[Kobi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interested in ancient philosophical thought? Specifically Stoicism? Forget most YouTube content on it, and despite his popularity, probably forget about Ryan Holiday, too (last time I checked, building a multi-million dollar Stoicism-inspired self-help empire isn't a core stoic value). Instead, if you stick with professors like John Sellars, you'll drink from a fountain of philosophical insight with substance, depth, and nuance.

In fact, if you read only one book on Stoicism, let it be this one, since it will allow you to understand and fully appreciate the complex, interconnected tripartite philosophical system (logic, physics, ethics) initiated on the steps of the ancient Athenian Stoa (out in the open next to the public agora for all passerby to witness and engage in) over 2000 years ago. Sellars is a top-notch scholar of ancient greek philosophy, and he excels in combining academic rigor with accessibility to this sadly misunderstood philosophical school. He successfully reconstructs this deeply rich system of philosophical thought from the mess of fragmented primary sources (and centuries-old caricatures that obsfucate the reality of Stoic thought) that have made it to the modern age. And in no other book is his treatment of Stoicism as lucid, complete, and comprehensive than this book.

[Philipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoured this volume in one sitting. A good introduction to stoicism, appropriate level of detail to give a foundation to delve deeper into primary literature. If you're turning towards stoicism as a self help philosophy, this book might place too much emphasis on stoic physics and logic, but for anyone looking to build a solid foundation in stoic philosophy this is a good place to start.

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books on Stoicism focus on ethics but I really enjoyed how this one gave a detailed look into the other two parts of Hellenistic Stoicism: Physics and Logic. I was surprised by not only how well their ethical system holds today, but also their physics and logic still apply quite well to modern times.

[Esteban Cabral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente manual introductorio para esta corriente filosófica, muy ameno tanto para el iniciado en la misma como para el lector casual. Muy recomendable.

[Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great overview of Stoic philosophy. Sellars gives a short history of the main players in the first chapter, as well as a brief rundown of the influence of Stoicism on western thought up to the 20th century. The former is pretty standard, and the latter pretty dry, in my opinion, fine for presenting the legacy of Stoicism throughout the ages, but more of an anticlimax than anything. The chapters sandwiched in between, however, are where the gems are. Sellars devotes a chapter each to the three main facets of Stoic thought: logic, physics, and ethics. He describes the Stoic view on formal logic, language theory, epistemology; their materialist (yet panpsychic) ontology, based on the two active and passive principles (mind and matter, God and world); and their work on values, morality, and virtue. Sellars writes clearly and to the point, teasing apart the Stoics' arguments, presenting alternate interpretations, and fitting it all together into a comprehensive worldview, which was the Stoics' whole point. Personally, I was struck by how much Stoicism resembles postmodern philosophers like Alfred Whitehead and David Ray Griffin. While there are certainly differences, Stoicism seems like a premodern attempt to do exactly what Whitehead attempted: create a total, comprehensive, consistent worldview taking account of all facts available. With more facts available, Whitehead (and Griffin, who presents Whitehead perhaps clearer than Whitehead himself did) has the benefit of 2000 more years of thought and science behind him, but Sellars's Stoicism (****) does an excellent job of showing what Stoicism had going for it.

[Don Putnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book. I read this three times in the last year and a half or so. Once, just to get an overview of it, again, but with a highlighter. And then for a third time as I studied the Stoic Essentials Course from the College of Stoic Philosophers.

It is a great book with lots of information, history and theory. I took extensive notes on the three main chapters of logic, physics and ethics - links below.
https://www.rockyrook.com/2020/02/not...
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https://www.rockyrook.com/2020/03/not...

For those who want the perfect theoretical overview of this excellent philosophy, this book is a must.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and well-researched text on stoicism. After reading it, I feel like I have a good grasp of the basic concepts, followup material from original sources to consult and also a context to understand those sources.

My preference (and interest) would be more towards chapters on ethics than on physics and logic. While stoic logic was apparently in some ways ahead of its time (not to be rediscovered for a few millennia), it’s now part of introductory logic or rhetoric. Stoic physics and cosmology are of purely historical relevance. So this wasn’t the ideal book I wanted to read, but even the parts I had little prior interest in were presented lucidly.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very deep look into Stoicism, the kind of book you want to keep picking up and going over, again and again.

If you're just starting out, I'd recommend Unshakable Freedom, followed by Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, and by then you'll be well set up to get into this book.

[Timothy Kestrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive and authoritative, yet easy to read at the same time, Stoicism by John Sellars covers three main Stoic philosophical discourses of logic, physics and ethics. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the tremendous contribution Stoicism has made for Western civilization.

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like Stoicism as a philosophy in general so I'm biased, but this is a great overview and I learned some new things about Stoics that I didn't know as well as the more famous ones.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good summary of Stoicism. I'm glad I read the source material first and then let this book glue it all together (and summarize it once more).

The chapter about how Stoicism influenced western society in the Middle Ages, Renaissance and 19th century was also quite interesting (albeit a bit rushed).

Target audience is people with academic interest in Stocism, I would say. It's not really gonna teach you how to practice stoicism.

After reading three books of the source material, this still taught me a lot that I had missed. Turns out the source material is really quite dense and Sellers extracted and presented the facts rather nicely.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit tough to read for someone who hasn't read much philosophy previously, but it was very informative and interesting. My only complaint is that even though it often mentions that Stoics see virtue as the only real good thing, there really isn't any discussion about what virtue means to Stoics. Otherwise it is definitely a good book to learn about stoicism.

[Jjacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good comprehensive introduction to classic stoicism

Good book, does a fine job explaining classic stoicism. One thing to be aware of is that it is aimed at readers with an academic interest in stoicism so a quarter of the book consists of glossaries, references etc.

[Kim Schjang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a textbook for the School of Essential Studies at the Stoic College. It was great as a basis for my studies and helped me learn more about the philosophy as well as giving a good historical account of Stoicism through the ages. Would recommend!

[Oppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Perfect balance between academic quality and readability. Chapters like logic were challenging but made it all the more rewarding. A perfect introduction to Stoicism for anyone with a serious interest

[Daltrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best introduction

The most clearly explained and comprehensive introduction to Stoicism I have read. A must for both novices and those already familiar with Stoicism.

[Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers stoic physics, ethics, and logic

[Victor Simones · Rating 5 out of 5]

History on Soticism

[(Alice) Aley Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!

[Colin McCausland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Physics and logic is very tough.

[ThePeenut · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a fucking jackass!

[Ayrton Altorio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read if you are interested in reading one decent book on Stoicism that covers its history and practice rather than going down the rabbit hole.

[Vigeeking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dense but thorough take on Stoicism.