Les Stoiciens II

This volume covers the very long intermediate period from the death of Chrysippus to the teachings of Musonius. It corresponds to what has long been called “Middle Stoicism,” a little-known and poorly studied period because of inadequate documentation and conflicting opinions: this period’s authors were perceived to be either Stoics devoid of originality professing dogmas identical to those of their predecessors, or dissident Stoics who had abandoned the fundamental dogmas comprising the heart of Ancient Stoicism and straying, so to speak, from the philosophical school to adhere to the teachings of Aristotle and Plato. No comprehensive monograph on this nonetheless crucial period exists: this was the time in which the concept of “legal entity” appeared, in which the new discipline of casuistry was formulated, and in which field-specific sciences were developed. This book focuses on three key figures of this period: Diogenes of Babylon, Panaetius of Rhodes (Cicero’s source) and Posidonius of Apameia (Seneca’s source). It proposes to analyse each of these authors in terms of five pivotal questions which enable readers to determine how far removed their views are from the dogmas of Chrysippus’ Ancient Stoicism: I. What does it mean to be happy? II. What is the soul? III. Practical Questions IV. In what world do we live? V. Philosopher and Knowledge.