A Little History of Philosophy (Little Histories)

by Nigel Warburton

‘Being philosophical’ simply means accepting what you can't change.

The name ‘Stoic’ came from the Stoa, which was a painted porch in Athens where these philosophers used to meet.

Nature is cruel in this respect. Just as we are getting on top of things, we die.

Someone who sets sail in a ship and is carried this way and that by stormy winds hasn't been on a voyage. He's just been tossed about a lot. So it is with life. Being out of control, drifting through events without finding time for the experiences that are most valuable and meaningful, is very different from truly living.

Hobbes disagreed. He thought that at heart we all are, and that it is only the rule of law and the threat of punishment that keep us in check.