Knowledge and virtue in early Stoicism

This book gives a comprehensive account of Stoic epistemology, as developed by Chrysippus (3rd century BC). The author emphasizes the ways in which the views of the Stoics are interrelated, among themselves and with views belonging to their physics and logic.

This book is about the epistemological views and arguments of the early Stoics. It discusses such questions as: How is knowledge possible, and what is it? How do we perceive things and acquire notions of them? Should we rely on arguments? How do we come to make so many mistakes?

The author tries to give a comprehensive and conservative account of Stoic epistemology as a whole as it was developed by Chrysippus. He emphasizes how the epistemological views of the Stoics are interrelated among themselves and with views from Stoic physics and logic.

There are a number of Stoic views and arguments that we will never know about. But there are passages on Stoic epistemology in Sextus Empiricus, Galen, Plutarch, Cicero, and a few others authors. The book is like a big jigsaw puzzle of these scattered pieces of evidence.

The first comprehensive modern study of Stoic epistemology, which greatly influenced e.g. Descartes Builds on and critically assesses the latest research on the subject Links epistemology to ethics, and shows what sort of knowledge it is that counts as virtue, according to the Stoics Gives access to issues that, because of poor source material, are not easily accessible to even advanced students and specialists

Auteur

Håvard Løkke is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Agder, Norway. He wrote his DPhil thesis in Oxford on Stoic epistemology, with Michael Frede as supervisor. He is currently writing a book on love.

Contenu

Introduction.- 1. From Zeno to Chrysippus.- 2. Nurtured by Nature.- 3. Our thoughts and their objects.- 4. Knowledge and mistakes.- 5. Our progress towards virtue.- 6. From Carneades to Cicero.- Bibliography.