Description
Book SynopsisDeterminism and Freedom in Stoic Philosophy is the first comprehensive study of one of the most important intellectual legacies of the ancient Greek world: the Stoic theory of causal determinism. The book identifies the main problems that the Stoics addressed and reconstructs the theory, and explores how they squared their determinism with their conceptions of possibility, action, freedom, and moral responsibility, and how they defended it against objections and criticism by other philosophers. It shows how the Stoics distinguished their causal determinism from ancient theories of logical determinism, fatalism, and necessitarianism. Along the way an authoritative account is given of many other related aspects of Stoic thought, including their views on the predictability of the future, the role of empirical sciences, the determination of character, and moral freedom. Bobzien''s study of these central doctrines of Stoicism reveals the considerable philosphical richness and power that the
Trade ReviewThis is a work of magnificent scope and superb execution ... Suzanne Bobzien brings to her huge exegetical agenda an exceptional combination of clarity, independence of mind, knowledge of the sources, skill and judgement in using them, and logical expertise. As well as teaching us a great deal about Stoicism, this book is an education in how to deal with ancient philosophical texts ... Suzanne Bobzien has given us a marvellous aid for understanding and appreciating the Stoic doctrine of fate. * Sarah Broadie, Mind *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Determinism and Fate ; 2. Two Chrysippean Arguments for Causal Determinism ; 3. Modality, Determinism, and Freedom ; 4. Divination, Modality,and Universal Regularity ; 5. Fate, Action, and Motivation: The Idle Argument ; 6. Determinism and Moral Responsibility: Chrysippus's Compatibilism ; 7. Freedom and that which Depends on us: Epictetus and Early Stoics ; 8. A Later Stoic Theory of Compatibilism ; Bibliography; Indexes
