Discourses (Books 1 and 2)

The ne plus ultra of Stoicism, Epictetus'sDiscoursesoutline clear-cut principles of right conduct and true thinking, offering secular thinkers a mode of reasoning that dismisses the strictures of absolutism and emotionalism in exchange for a more peaceful and productive life. TheDiscoursesreport discussions between Epictetus and his students. These informal but earnest exchanges cover a broad range of topics-friendship, illness, fear, the quest for tranquility, and the futility of anger-as the teacher guides his class through careful consideration of the Stoic conception and realization of the philosophic life. This compilation of Books 1 and 2 of Epictetus's work is the first of a two-volume set. Elizabeth Carter translation.