Stoic Virtues Chrysippus and the Religious Character of Stoic Ethics

Like its ancient rivals, Stoic ethics was a form of virtue ethics, yet while the concept of virtue was clearly central to Stoic ethics, the concept of Stoic virtue has not yet been fully explored. Instead, the existing literature tends to impose on the Stoic material philosophically quite alien non-Aristotelian interpretations of virtue. According to Christoph Jedan, however, a thorough examination of the Stoic concept of virtue leads to a reassessment of our understanding of Stoic ethics. This book emphasises in particular the theological underpinning of Stoic ethics, which Jedan contends has been underestimated in current accounts of Stoic ethics. Jedan argues that the theological motifs in Stoic ethics are in fact pivotal to a complete understanding of Stoic ethics. The book focuses on Chrysippus, the most important of the early Stoic thinkers, suggesting that his contribution, and in particular its religious aspect, remained a key point of reference for later Stoics. This fascinating book makes a crucial contribution to the field of ancient ethics.

AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroductionPart I: A Religious World-View1. Stoic Corporealism2. Stoic Theology3. Two Pictures of FatePart II: Virtue and the Virtues4. Definitions of Virtue5. The Virtues as Epistemai6. The Virtues: Different Yet Inseparable7. A Catalogue of VirtuesPart III: Becoming Virtuous8. Vice and the Attainability of Virtue9. Initiation10. Virtue and HappinessPart IV: Practices of Virtues11. Law and Rules12. The Single Kathekon and the Versatility of Stoic PrescriptionsEpilogueAppendix 1Appendix 2NotesBibliographyIndex of Cited PassagesGeneral Index