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Lectures and Fragments (Illustrated) Kindle Edition

by Musonius Rufus (Author), Cora E. Lutz (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 75 ratings
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"To relax the mind is to lose it."

Gaius Musonius Rufus (c. AD 30–100) was one of the four great Roman Stoic philosophers, the other three being Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Musonius’s pupil Epictetus. Rufus taught philosophy in Rome during the reign of Nero, as a consequence of which he was sent into exile in 65 AD to Gyaros, a barren island in the Aegean Sea. Because Stoicism was, for Musonius, not merely a philosophy but a guide to daily living, he has been called “The Roman Socrates.” The opinions of Musonius were collected by two of his students, Lucius and Pollio. Twenty-one lectures and an assortment of fragments are presented here.

The lectures or discourses are as follows: 1. That There is No Need of Giving Many Proofs for One Problem 2. That Man is Born with an Inclination Toward Virtue 3. That Women Too Should Study Philosophy 4. Should Daughters Receive the Same Education as Sons? 5. Which is more Effective, Theory or Practice? 6. On Training 7. That One Should Disdain Hardships 8. That Kings Also Should Study Philosophy 9. That Exile is not an Evil 10. Will the Philosopher Prosecute Anyone for Personal Injury? 11. What means of Livelihood is Appropriate for a Philosopher? 12. On Sexual Indulgence 13. What is the Chief End of Marriage 14. Is Marriage a Handicap for the Pursuit of Philosophy? 15. Should Every Child that is Born be Raised? 16. Must One Obey One’s Parents under all Circumstances? 17. What is the Best Viaticum for Old Age? 18. On Food 19. On Clothing and Shelter 20. On Furnishings 21. On Cutting the Hair

Lectures and Fragments of Musonius Rufus is essential reading for students of Stoics and anyone interested in leading ‘the good life.’ *Newly revised text for modern readers. *Includes Marcus Rufus biographical image gallery.
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  1. Print length
    67 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 31, 2015
  5. File size
    1122 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00VH50DEA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Logos Books (March 31, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 31, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1122 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 67 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1511527943
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 75 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
75 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022
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There is a lot of wisdom in this little book. I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of philosophy.
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J. Lykins
3.0 out of 5 stars No translator mentioned
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2023
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Buying this book has taught me a valuable lesson: pay attention to the number of pages and who the publisher is. Paying $24 for a 66-page book is a little steep, but that's on me for not paying closer attention. The main thing that bugs me is the lack of attribution to the translator, or the origin of the manuscript. There is virtually no front matter.
Next time I will pay closer attention to the book description. For a few bucks more I could have gotten a proper introduction and biographical material.
One person found this helpful
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Cathy Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars A Stoic Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2015
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The mind is a powerful thing and this philosophical book uncovers the wisdom of the great Rufus.

Nothing in life is ever clear cut and neither are the historical teachings in this deep book. To me it's like taking in tongues and it does cause frustration, but when you actually "get it" its marvelous! Funny how the older a get the more interest I have in understanding how our great worldly philosopher's thought. It truly is incredible how accurate many of their visions were. If you are interested in some deep quality thinking this is the book for you.

I recommend you read through this book and reflect, then let the author know what you think. Well done!
4 people found this helpful
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Nilah M
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read and insight.
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015
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Stoicism is one of those schools of thought that really encourage active seeking of knowledge and development of reason. I have always been intrigued by the teachings of stoicism, and this books really gave me an indepth insight into one of the most famous stoic philosophers - Musonius Rufus. Though this is a collection of his thoughts by his students, I got ample info about how Rufus viewed gender equality, marriage and even sexual choices. The undertones of virtue clearly define the development of institutions of marriage, family and education. The numerous fragments in this book are highly thought-provoking, my favourite being "You will earn the respect of all men if you begin by earning the respect of yourself."
11 people found this helpful
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Jonny
5.0 out of 5 stars Stoics
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2015
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A lot of powerful and thought provoking stuff in here.

I have always enjoyed reading a lot on philosophy. This Lectures and Fragments are a great peace of work that has been published. Typically the topic is hard to understand and gets dull but the way the book is written is actually a joy to read. I am definitely going to re read a lot of the chapters just because I think they are so profound.

Love it recommend it
One person found this helpful
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DW
5.0 out of 5 stars A great source for Stoic wisdom
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
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Part of the works of Musonius Rufus that we have left to us. The man was famed for being the Roman Socrates. I greatly enjoyed his wisdom and recommend it to anyone looking to learn about Stoicism.
2 people found this helpful
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Margo Price - Author
5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this.
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2015
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The little I have read on Stoic philosophy - until I found this book - made me think that this was an interesting way to live. Reading the lectures in this book have given me something much deeper to consider. The ideas and reasoning discussed in these pieces really resonate against the fast, and sometimes thoughtless life we live today. Here is a more peaceful, considered way of life. Everyone should read this.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Stoic Ideas
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2019
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Apart from the big three Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius, I hadnt really digged any deeper into Stoic text but this was an excellent collection from someone new...ancient, but new.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Sandybcn
3.0 out of 5 stars Tiny book
Reviewed in Spain on October 1, 2022
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Very small book, more like a booklet.
Not written directly by the author but an interpretation of his thoughts.
As a frequent reader of stoicism I'd recommend Seneca, Marco Aurelius and other Stoic writers.
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Christian
5.0 out of 5 stars Schöne Lektüre für Zwischendurch
Reviewed in Germany on September 30, 2020
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Ich habe mir diese Ansammlung von Aussagen von Musonius Rufus gekauft, da ich in einem anderen Werk auf seine Aussagen aufmerksam gemacht wurde und dann die Hintergründe verstehen wollte. Ich habe mir dieses Produkt als E-Book per Kindle gekauft. Es hat mir ein paar tolle Stunden beschert, während denen ich es gelesen habe und meine Gedanken schweifen lassen konnte.
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sTAOic
5.0 out of 5 stars Marsonius Rufus, the teacher of Epictetus, is an ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2015
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Marsonius Rufus, the teacher of Epictetus, is an inspirational and influential stoic. These words of wisdom are as relevant now as they were thousands of years ago.
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Carson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2016
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I just keep reading this over and over and gain new insights each time. Spendid stuff.
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