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The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in Ordinary Life Hardcover – December 4, 2013

3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in Ordinary Life offers an original interpretation of Epictetus’s ethics and how he bases his ethics on an appeal to our roles in life. Epictetus believes that every individual is the bearer of many roles from sibling to citizen and that individuals are morally good if they fulfill the obligations associated with these roles. To understand Epictetus’s account of roles, scholars have often mistakenly looked backwards to Cicero’s earlier and more schematic account of roles. However, for Cicero, roles are merely a tool in the service of the virtue of decorum where decorum is one of the four canonical virtues—prudence, justice, greatness of spirit, and decorum. In contrast, Epictetus sets those virtues aside and offers roles as a complete ethical theory that does the work of those canonical virtues.

This book elucidates the unique features of Epictetus’s role based ethics. First, individuals have many roles and these roles are substantial enough that they may conflict. Second, although Epictetus is often taken to have only a sparse theory of appropriate action (or “duty” in older translations), Brian E. Johnson examines the criteria by which appropriate action is measured in order to demonstrate that Epictetus does have an account of appropriate action and that it is grounded in his account of roles. Finally, Epictetus downplays the Stoic ideal of the sage and replaces that figure with role-bound individuals who are supposed to inspire each of us to meet the challenges of our own roles. Instead of looking to sages, who have a perfect knowledge and action that we must imitate, Epictetus’s new ethical heroes are those we do not imitate in terms of knowledge or action, but simply in the way they approach the challenges of their roles.

The analysis found in The Role Ethics of Epictetus will be of great value both to students and scholars of ancient philosophy, ethics and moral philosophy, history, classics, and theology, and to the educated reader who admires Epictetus.
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  1. Print length
    216 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Lexington Books
  4. Publication date
    December 4, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6.34 x 0.85 x 9.36 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0739179675
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0739179673
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A strong and consistent reading of an ambiguous text is always welcome, and Johnson's effort to think through what a role-based ethics might entail is of philosophical interest regardless of its fit with Epictetus' ancient project. Readers at all levels will benefit, too, from Johnson's consistently patient and clear manner of laying out the issues and from his meticulous references to related passages elsewhere in the corpus. ― Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

Brian Johnson’s study is the most extensive analysis to date of the importance of roles in Epictetus’ ethics. The work is ‘good to think with’: it provides ample textual evidence for its claims and robust analyses, it is generally lucidly written, and has a good bibliography ― Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie

This is a fresh approach that puts role ethics squarely at center stage in understanding Epictetus’s philosophy. With a lucid, penetrating, and original analysis, Johnson makes a strong case for both the importance of roles in Epictetus’s Stoicism and the originality of Epictetus’s version of role ethics. This study is a very welcome contribution to scholarship on Epictetus. -- William O. Stephens, Creighton University

About the Author

Brian E. Johnson is assistant professor of philosophy at Fordham University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lexington Books (December 4, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0739179675
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0739179673
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.34 x 0.85 x 9.36 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

About the author

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Brian E. Johnson

Brian E. Johnson

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Brian Earl Johnson is an associate professor of philosophy at Fordham University in New York City. He earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 2007 and specializes in ancient Greek and Roman ethics. Johnson has contributed an essay, "The American Diogenes: Mark Twain's Sacred Profanity" in the volume, "Mark Twain and Philosophy" ( https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Twain-Philosophy-Great-Authors/dp/1442261714 ). He also appears in chapter 2 in Mark Adam's hilarious book, "Meet Me In Atlantis" ( https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Me-Atlantis-Continents-Legendary/dp/1101983930 ).

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
14 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Massimo Pigliucci
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, original take on the ethics of one of the most important philosophers of all time
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
Even though this book derives from Brian Johnson's PhD dissertation about the late I century / early II century slave-turned-teacher, Epictetus, the treatment is actually highly accessible to the general reader, and is a must if one has any interest in Stoicism -- especially as a practical philosophy for modern times. I have written a six-part commentary on Johnson's book over at howtobeastoic dot org, if you want to read the book along with some guidance. Epictetus was a very highly regarded philosopher throughout the Middle Ages and into the 19th century, and only went into (hopefully temporary!) eclipse during the last century or so. His role ethics was a truly novel way to interpret classical Stoic doctrine, shifting the emphasis from the concept of the four cardinal virtues (practical wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance) to a sophisticated analysis of the different roles we play in society. Epictetus distinguishes among: (i) the basic, most fundamental, overriding, role we all play qua human beings; (ii) "natural" roles, which we do not choose (e.g., son, brother); and (iii) chosen roles (e.g., father, friend, colleague). Although Johnson suggests by the end of the book that the limits of this approach to ethics are reached once Epictetus gives us example, but no general rules, as guidance to resolve conflicts among roles, I disagree: the power of virtue ethics in general, and Stoicism in particular, is precisely that it is nuanced and doesn't reduce itself to simplistic formulations that are unlikely to apply to the complexities of the real world.
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Mark Watson
3.0 out of 5 stars Hard to follow
Reviewed in Australia on September 26, 2023
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I’ve read many books on stoicism and Epictetus is my favourite stoic. However I found this a hard read. Maybe it’s too academic for me as I struggled to find it interesting.
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