Books by John Sellars
Mohr Siebeck, 2022
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyr... more This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to reproductions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed on non-aging paper by Laupp & Göbel in Gomaringen and bound by Nädele in Nehren.
Introduction | Stoicism in Rome | Stoicism in Early Christianity | Plotinus and the Platonic Resp... more Introduction | Stoicism in Rome | Stoicism in Early Christianity | Plotinus and the Platonic Response to Stoicism | Augustine’s Debt to Stoicism in the Confessions | Boethius and Stoicism | Stoic Themes in Peter Abelard and John of Salisbury | Stoic Influences in the Later Middle Ages | The Recovery of Stoicism in the Renaissance | Stoicism in the Philosophy of the Italian Renaissance | Erasmus, Calvin, and the Faces of Stoicism in Renaissance and Reformation Thought | Justus Lipsius and Neostoicism | Shakespeare and Early Modern English Literature | Medicine of the Mind in Early Modern Philosophy | Stoic Themes in Early Modern French Thought | Spinoza and Stoicism | Leibniz and the Stoics: Fate, Freedom, and Providence | The Epicurean Stoicism of the French Enlightenment | Stoicism and the Scottish Enlightenment | Kant and Stoic Ethics | Stoicism in Nineteenth Century German Philosophy | Stoicism and Romantic Literature | Stoicism in Victorian Culture | Stoicism in America | Stoic Themes in Contemporary Anglo-American Ethics | Stoicism and Twentieth Century French Philosophy | The Stoic Influence on Modern Psychotherapy
[I have uploaded a copy of the preface to the second edition, in which I respond to reviews of th... more [I have uploaded a copy of the preface to the second edition, in which I respond to reviews of the first edition.]
It is a commonplace to say that in antiquity philosophy was conceived as a way of life or an art of living but precisely what such claims amount to has remained unclear. If ancient philosophers did think that philosophy should transform an individual's way of life, then what conception of philosophy stands behind this claim? In The Art of Living John Sellars explores this question via a detailed account of ancient Stoic ideas about the nature and function of philosophy. He considers the Socratic background to Stoic thinking about philosophy, Sceptical objections raised by Sextus Empiricus, and offers readings of late Stoic texts by Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Sellars argues that the conception of philosophy as an 'art of living', inaugurated by Socrates and developed by the Stoics, has persisted since antiquity and remains a living alternative to modern attempts to assimilate philosophy to the natural sciences. It also enables us to rethink the relationship between an individual's philosophy and their biography.
[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/art-of-living.html]"
[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/stoicism.html]
This book offers a general ... more [Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/stoicism.html]
This book offers a general introduction to Stoicism, the first for over 30 years (since Sandbach's The Stoics from 1975, or Long's Hellenistic Philosophy from 1974). It outlines the central philosophical ideas of Stoicism and introduces the reader to the different ancient authors and sources that they will encounter when exploring Stoicism. The range of sources that are drawn upon in the reconstruction of Stoic philosophy can be bewildering for the beginner. The book guides the reader through the surviving works of the late Stoic authors, such as Seneca and Epictetus, and the fragments relating to the early Stoics found in authors such as Plutarch and Stobaeus. The opening chapter offers an introduction to the ancient Stoics, their works, and other ancient authors who report material about ancient Stoic philosophy. The second chapter considers how the Stoics themselves conceived philosophy and how they structured their own philosophical system. Chapters Three to Five offer accounts of Stoic philosophical doctrines arranged according to the Stoic division of philosophical discourse into three parts: logic, physics, and ethics. The final chapter considers the later impact of Stoicism on Western philosophy, from late antiquity to the present.
Selected Reviews:
'It's easy to recommend this book as the best introduction to the subject' (The Philosophers' Magazine 37);
'Sellars's book highlights important issues. He has provided an excellent introduction to Stoicism for all who want to know more about it, and that is a considerable achievement' (Philosophical Books 48/2)
'This is an outstanding, and long-desired, introduction to the Stoics ... Sellars has risen splendidly to the challenge of providing a new generation of students with an introduction to Stoicism. I recommend the book without hesitation. It is clearly written, well organized, and beautifully produced' (The Heythrop Journal 49/3)
This book makes available again a long out-of-print translation of a major sixteenth-century phil... more This book makes available again a long out-of-print translation of a major sixteenth-century philosophical text. Lipsius' De Constantia (1584) is an important Humanist text and a key moment in the reception of Stoicism. A dialogue in two books, conceived as a philosophical consolation for those suffering through contemporary religious wars, it proved immensely popular in its day and formed the inspiration for what has become known as 'Neostoicism'. This movement advocated the revival of Stoic ethics in a form that would be palatable to a Christian audience. Lipsius deploys Stoic arguments concerning appropriate attitudes towards emotions and external events. He also makes clear which parts of Stoic philosophy must be rejected, including its materialism and its determinism. De Constantia was translated into a number of vernacular languages soon after its original publication in Latin. Of the English translations which were made, that by Sir John Stradling (1595) became a classic; it was last reprinted in 1939. This new edition offers a lightly revised version of Stradling's translation, along with a new introduction, notes, and bibliography.
Articles & Chapters by John Sellars
The Oxford Handbook of Stoicism
This chapter will outline the reception of Stoicism in Rome from c. 150 BC through to c. AD 200. ... more This chapter will outline the reception of Stoicism in Rome from c. 150 BC through to c. AD 200. It will begin with the famous embassy of Athenian philosophers to Rome that included the Stoic Diogenes of Babylon, then moving on to Panaetius and Posidonius, stressing their connections with Rome and Romans. Then Cicero and the literal 'Latinization' of Stoic ideas in his philosophical works. This, combined with the demise of the Athenian Stoa as an ongoing tradition, paved the way for home-grown Roman Stoicism, and in this context it will consider the school of Sextius and its most famous pupil, Seneca. The circle around Seneca included a number of notable Stoics-Lucan, Cornutus, Persius-all of whom will be mentioned. Contemporary with this was Musonius Rufus and his pupils-Epictetus, Dio Chrysostom, and Euphrates of Tyre-along with the Stoic opposition that contributed to the banishment of both Musonius and Epictetus. In contrast to this very practical and politically engaged brand of Stoicism, the more scholarly efforts of Hierocles and Cleomedes will also be mentioned. Indeed, the scholarly discussion of Stoicism in the second century and the focus in particular on the works of Chrysippus by thinkers such as Plutarch and Galen will be stressed, and it will be against this background that the chapter will conclude by turning to Marcus Aurelius, a studious reader of the early Stoics as well as being engaged in a practical project of ethical self-cultivation.
The Cambridge Companion to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations
This chapter examines the reception of the Meditations in early modern Europe, focusing primary o... more This chapter examines the reception of the Meditations in early modern Europe, focusing primary on the period from the first publication of the Meditations in 1559 to the end of the eighteenth century. In particular it discusses the way in which the text was read as either a generic source of ancient moral maxims or a serious work of Stoic philosophy.
Philosophy as a Way of Life, New Research Directions
I examine a short work by Leon Battista Alberti, his De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, whi... more I examine a short work by Leon Battista Alberti, his De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, which considers both the disadvantages and the benefits of a life devoted to scholarship. Alberti mocks the scholar whose life is marked by extreme hardship and poverty with little chance of attaining the rewards of fame and wealth. Yet there are also more serious benefits that come from the study of ancient literature, leading Alberti to reassess his own motivations for wanting to embrace the life of a scholar. It is only through a philosophical clarification of values that the true worth of a scholarly life can be grasped. Along the way Alberti makes plain that the ultimate goal is the cultivation of a virtuous character. This is what makes a life devoted to scholarship a philosophical way of life.
Barlaam of Seminara on Stoic Ethics, 2022
An outline of the reception of Stoic Ethics in the medieval period, a chapter from my recent book... more An outline of the reception of Stoic Ethics in the medieval period, a chapter from my recent book on Barlaam of Seminara.
Hadot and Foucault on Ancient Philosophy: Critical Assessments , 2024
Leiden: Brill, 2024.
I reexamine the three topoi or areas of study outlined in Epictetus, Dissertationes 3.2 and the c... more I reexamine the three topoi or areas of study outlined in Epictetus, Dissertationes 3.2 and the claim that they align with the traditional three parts of Stoic philosophy. I argue that they do not correspond to the three parts, but instead map out a series of stages in philosophical training. I then compare these three topoi with another set outlined in Enchiridion 52. I argue that these are distinct from the set outlined in Dissertationes 3.2 and that this second set does not map on to the three parts of Stoic philosophy either. I conclude by suggesting that the three topoi in the Dissertationes are not as central to the philosophy of Epictetus as some commentators have supposed.
In 'Habit and the History of Philosophy' (Routledge, 2022)
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus repeatedly warns his students not merely to repeat what they have... more The Stoic philosopher Epictetus repeatedly warns his students not merely to repeat what they have heard but instead to digest it in order to transform how they live. This involves changing their habitual ways of thinking. The way one goes about this, Epictetus suggests, is by setting up contrary habits. Habits are the sorts of things that can vary in intensity, unlike virtue which is an all or nothing affair. The challenge when attempting to do this is avoiding external negative influences, Epictetus argues. The sort of training Epictetus advocates is broadly non-cognitive, which raises questions about the orthodoxy of Epictetus’s account.
One striking feature of the Renaissance recovery of ancient philosophy was the attention paid to ... more One striking feature of the Renaissance recovery of ancient philosophy was the attention paid to biographies of ancient philosophers. One of the first to receive attention was Seneca: Gasparino Barzizza wrote, in the words of Letizia Panizza, “the first Humanist Latin biography of Seneca”. Gianozzo Manetti later wrote parallel lives of Socrates and Seneca, inspired by Plutarch. There was great excitement when the Vitae philosophorum of Diogenes Laertius was rediscovered and translated into Latin. Its appearance prompted Leonardo Bruni to write a new Humanist biography of Aristotle. Biographies of Plato followed, including one by Marsilio Ficino. Early printed editions of the works of philosophers – such as the Aldine Aristotle – opened with a biography, to be read before the works, following the ancient Neoplatonic tradition of studying the life of a philosopher before their ideas. While some historians of philosophy might be tempted to ignore this Renaissance fascination with biographies, dismissing it as a historical and philological distraction, I argue that it might tell us something important about how philosophy was conceived during the Renaissance. In particular I argue that it adds support to the claim made by a number of recent scholars that during the Renaissance philosophy was often conceived as a way of life.
Forthcoming in N. Powers and J. Klein, eds, The Oxford Handbook of Hellenistic Philosophy (New York: Oxford University Press).
This article examines the reception of Stoicism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, from... more This article examines the reception of Stoicism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, from Justus Lipsius to Immanuel Kant. It considers topics often associated with Stoicism during the period, notably the interconnected concepts of fate, necessity, and providence, as well as the rise and development of scholarship on Stoicism during the period. While this was an especially rich period for the reception of Stoicism, more often than not the Stoics found themselves drawn into contemporary disputes, such as the potentially atheistic conclusions of Spinoza's philosophy. At the same time, it saw a shift away from seeing Seneca as the pre-eminent Stoic and towards the systematic philosophy of Zeno and Chrysippus.
Forthcoming in M. Garani, D. Konstan, and G. Reydams-Schils, eds, The Oxford Handbook of Roman Philosophy (New York: Oxford University Press), 2023
This chapter examines Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and considers its status as a work of philoso... more This chapter examines Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and considers its status as a work of philosophy by placing it within a broader tradition of spiritual exercises in ancient philosophy. It presents the Meditations as a private notebook, never intended for publication, in which Marcus engaged in a series of written exercises aimed at self-examination. In particular, these exercises were aimed at assimilating and digesting key philosophical principles. Central to this process was the practice of paying close attention to principles at all times. In this context the notion of a spiritual exercise is introduced and its use by Musonius Rufus and Seneca is examined; then some specific spiritual exercises in the Meditations are discussed. 1 See Casaubon (1634), who went on to publish an edition of the Greek text in 1643. In what follows I have in general relied on the text and quote from the translation in Farquharson (1944), occasionally modified. There is a more recent edition in Dalfen (1987) and the first volume of a new edition in Hadot and Luna (1998). Material in this chapter has also been incorporated, in a slightly different form, in Sellars (2021). 2 For titles of translations up to 1908 see Wickham Legg (1910). 3 The title is recorded in the editio princeps, which was based on the now lost Palatine manuscript (on which see Ceporina (2012) 55-56). Many have assumed that the title was taken over from the manuscript, although Ceporina (2012) 47 suggests that it may have been added by Xylander. It is literally rendered by a few translators; see e.g. Rendall (1898). When translated into Latin it is usually, though not universally, translated literally as ad se ipsum. It is worth noting that Casaubon's full title in English was Meditations Concerning Himselfe. 4 The title is first mentioned by Arethas of Caesarea (c. 850-935), Scholia in Lucianum 207,6-7 Rabe, quoted in Farquharson (1944) 158. An earlier mention of the text by Themistius, Orationes 6.81c (dated 364; see Farquharson (1944) xv) does not use the title but instead calls the work Precepts or Admonitions (parangelmata). In the Meditations Marcus refers to his own writings as hupomnematia (little notes), at 3.14.
In O. Akopyan, ed., Fate and Fortune in European Thought, ca. 1400-1650 (Leiden: Brill, 2021), 13-36, 2021
Philosophy during the Renaissance adopted a myriad of literary forms. One that proved popular was... more Philosophy during the Renaissance adopted a myriad of literary forms. One that proved popular was the work of consolation, inspired by ancient models such as the consolatory works of Seneca. Many of these works were prompted by immediate, often traumatic events – both personal and political – and were sincere attempts to draw on ancient models of consolatory thought for the therapeutic benefit they might confer. In this chapter I shall examine examples of philosophical consolation by Petrarch, Filelfo, and Scala among others, approaching them as practical responses to the vicissitudes of fate and fortune. In particular I shall focus on the way these authors draw on ancient therapeutic arguments recorded in Cicero and Seneca, such as the Stoic denial that external events are ever truly bad. I shall also be concerned with what these Renaissance works tells us about how their authors conceived the role and purpose of philosophy – a practical guide to life.
In Marta Faustino and Gianfranco Ferraro, eds, The Late Foucault: Ethical and Political Questions (London: Bloomsbury)., 2020
This chapter discusses the relationship between the late work of Michel Foucault and that of his ... more This chapter discusses the relationship between the late work of Michel Foucault and that of his colleague at the Collège de France, Pierre Hadot. 1 Foucault referred to Hadot's work as a key point of reference for his own work on ancient practices of the self, and Hadot recounted that they also spoke on a number of occasions. 2 Arnold Davidson, who knew both men and played a key role in introducing Hadot's work to the English-speaking world, noted that Foucault had been "a careful reader of Hadot's work" (Davidson 1990, 481), and has commented on Foucault's "enthusiasm" for Hadot's work (Davidson 1995, 1). Foucault's interest in what he called "technologies of the self" (techniques de soi) drew in part on Hadot's accounts of ancient "spiritual exercises" (exercices spirituels). Hadot would later comment on Foucault's use of his work, noting their common ground but also suggesting some distance between them on certain key points, and arguing that in some respects Foucault's account of ancient practices was misleading. In particular, Hadot claimed that Foucault's stress on an aesthetic cultivation of the self placed too much stress on the self and downplayed the cosmological aspects of Stoic ethics. This chapter will assess whether Hadot's criticisms of Foucault are fair, and what, if any, criticisms might be raised against Hadot's own stress on dissolution of the self in his accounts of ancient philosophy.
In K. Lampe and J. Scholtz, eds, French and Italian Stoicisms (London: Bloomsbury)., 2020
One popular image of Stoicism presents it as indifferent to external events, which are seen as th... more One popular image of Stoicism presents it as indifferent to external events, which are seen as the product of mechanical fate, with value residing only with inner virtue. A second popular image emphasizes an attitude of optimism and affirmation with regard to events, conceived as the result of divine providence. This chapter critically examines Foucault’s proposal that the tension between these two images reflects a shift in emphasis between the Athenian Stoa (in particular Cleanthes, as reported by Cicero) and the Roman Stoa (primarily Seneca and Epictetus). While the Athenian Stoics saw external events as ‘indifferents’ (adiaphora), the Roman Stoics reconceived them as a test to be embraced. Sent by divine providence, apparent evils are neither evils nor unqualified indifferents but rather something to be embraced as benefits.
Metaphilosophy, 2020
A long-established view has deprecated Renaissance humanists as primarily literary figures with l... more A long-established view has deprecated Renaissance humanists as primarily literary figures with little serious interest in philosophy. More recently it has been proposed that the idea of philosophy as a way of life offers a useful framework with which to re-assess their philosophical standing. However, this proposal has faced some criticism. By looking again at the work of three important figures from the period I defend the claim that at least some thinkers during the Renaissance did see philosophy as a way of life, while also acknowledging the force of reservations made by recent critics.
A number of commentators have suggested that in the final chapters of his De immortalitate animae... more A number of commentators have suggested that in the final chapters of his De immortalitate animae Pietro Pomponazzi drew on Stoic themes in developing his ethical claims regarding the autonomy of virtue. I argue against both the claim that he was especially influenced by Stoicism here and the claim that he was asserting the autonomy of ethics from religious or metaphysical concerns. Instead I argue that we ought to take Pomponazzi's ethical reflections as a response to Aristotle's discussion, towards the end of the Nicomachean Ethics, of the relative status of the political and the contemplative life. We also ought to see them as a corollary to his interpretation of Aristotle's account of the soul in the earlier chapters of the work.
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Books by John Sellars
It is a commonplace to say that in antiquity philosophy was conceived as a way of life or an art of living but precisely what such claims amount to has remained unclear. If ancient philosophers did think that philosophy should transform an individual's way of life, then what conception of philosophy stands behind this claim? In The Art of Living John Sellars explores this question via a detailed account of ancient Stoic ideas about the nature and function of philosophy. He considers the Socratic background to Stoic thinking about philosophy, Sceptical objections raised by Sextus Empiricus, and offers readings of late Stoic texts by Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Sellars argues that the conception of philosophy as an 'art of living', inaugurated by Socrates and developed by the Stoics, has persisted since antiquity and remains a living alternative to modern attempts to assimilate philosophy to the natural sciences. It also enables us to rethink the relationship between an individual's philosophy and their biography.
[Further information at http://www.johnsellars.org.uk/art-of-living.html]"
This book offers a general introduction to Stoicism, the first for over 30 years (since Sandbach's The Stoics from 1975, or Long's Hellenistic Philosophy from 1974). It outlines the central philosophical ideas of Stoicism and introduces the reader to the different ancient authors and sources that they will encounter when exploring Stoicism. The range of sources that are drawn upon in the reconstruction of Stoic philosophy can be bewildering for the beginner. The book guides the reader through the surviving works of the late Stoic authors, such as Seneca and Epictetus, and the fragments relating to the early Stoics found in authors such as Plutarch and Stobaeus. The opening chapter offers an introduction to the ancient Stoics, their works, and other ancient authors who report material about ancient Stoic philosophy. The second chapter considers how the Stoics themselves conceived philosophy and how they structured their own philosophical system. Chapters Three to Five offer accounts of Stoic philosophical doctrines arranged according to the Stoic division of philosophical discourse into three parts: logic, physics, and ethics. The final chapter considers the later impact of Stoicism on Western philosophy, from late antiquity to the present.
Selected Reviews:
'It's easy to recommend this book as the best introduction to the subject' (The Philosophers' Magazine 37);
'Sellars's book highlights important issues. He has provided an excellent introduction to Stoicism for all who want to know more about it, and that is a considerable achievement' (Philosophical Books 48/2)
'This is an outstanding, and long-desired, introduction to the Stoics ... Sellars has risen splendidly to the challenge of providing a new generation of students with an introduction to Stoicism. I recommend the book without hesitation. It is clearly written, well organized, and beautifully produced' (The Heythrop Journal 49/3)
Articles & Chapters by John Sellars