On Duties

By Cicero,

Book cover of On Duties

Book description

This beautifully formatted philosophical treatise by Roman orator Cicero contains an active table of contents for easy travel throughout the eBook. De Officiis (On Duties or On Obligations) is a treatise by Marcus Tullius Cicero divided into three books, in which Cicero expounds his conception of the best way to…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked On Duties as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Was Cicero even a Stoic? The answer, as with all things Cicero, is complicated. But Stoic or not, Cicero is one of our most important sources on ancient Stoicism. His last work, On Duties, on our “duties” (or responsibilities) to one another as human beings, is heavily indebted to the Stoic Panaetius. In it, he argues, among others, that, owing to our common human dignity, there ought to be strict rules for entering and conducting war—an idea which today is enshrined in international law. Following the invention of the printing press, On Duties was the third ever book to…

Want books like On Duties?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 95 books like On Duties.

Browse books like On Duties

Book cover of Moral Letters to Lucilius
Book cover of Discourses and Selected Writings
Book cover of Lectures and Fragments

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,188

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Cicero, stoicism, and Rome?

Cicero 20 books
Stoicism 77 books
Rome 339 books