A Stoic Primer

The Stoics are in an odd position, loved by those who malign them and maligned by those who love them. At least as long ago as the days of Cicero, they were presented as humorless and pedantic, but also brave, dedicated, and principled. In The Practicing Stoic Ward Farnsworth, Dean of the University of Texas School of Law, has not tried to change this image, or even explain, develop, or advance Stoic thought. Nor does he aim to solve problems or resolve disagreements among Stoic thinkers. He rather re-describes Stoic thought for readers who are not students of Classics or Philosophy, or particularly knowledgeable about those subjects. He provides beginners with a selection of Stoic (or Stoic-like) texts, and invites them to probe more deeply on their own.