The Ethics of the Stoic Epictetus: An English Translation- William O. Stephens, Translator

by William O. Stephens

Born a slave, but later earning his freedom and founding a school for teaching Stoicism to the sons of Roman noblemen, Epictetus (c. 50-120 A.D.) has been a popular source of Stoic philosophy for centuries. Originally published in 1894 by the German scholar Adolf Bonhoffer and here translated into English for the first time, this work remains the most systematic and detailed study of Epictetus' ethics. The basis, content, and acquisition of virtue are methodically described, while important related points in Stoic ethics are discussed in an extensive appendix. Epictetus is compared throughout with the other late Stoics (Seneca, Marcus Aurelius), Cicero, the early Stoics (Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus), and Christian moral thought. This approach shows that Stoic ethics continues to have great practical and pedagogical value.

Genres: Philosophy

335 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1996

About the author

William O. Stephens is an American expert on Stoicism and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Creighton University.
His books include Epictetus’s Encheiridion: A New Translation and Guide to Stoic Ethics (Bloomsbury, 2023), a revised edition of his English translation of A. F. Bonhöffer, The Ethics of the Stoic Epictetus (Peter Lang, 2021), Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed (Bloomsbury, 2012), Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom (Bloomsbury, 2007), and The Person: Readings in Human Nature (Prentice Hall, 2006). His writings on Stoic topics include food, animals, ecology, love, death, habit, refugees, sports, travel, the Star Wars films, the film Gladiator (2000), and Dungeons & Dragons.

Reviews

[Rahul Jacob]

A very in-depth scholarly analysis of Stoic philosophy and its relation to Ethics. The book also discusses the works of other Stoic philosophers like Seneca and Chrisyppus.

It is definitely not meant for the casual reader or just anyone with an interest in Philosophy. This is meant for academics who have a solid grasp on Ancient Greek and Latin, seeing as how the translator did not bother trying to provide an explanation for what those terms signify, other than having a next to useless list of Greek words in the back of the book, which provides a bare bones translation of said words that don't really help you understand the text. The book also reproduces quotations and words from the original Greek and Latin texts as is, meaning there are quite a few parts of this book which are going to be incomprehensible unless you know Ancient Greek and Latin.