A New Stoicism

Lawrence C. Becker is a fellow of Hollins University and professor emeritus of philosophy at the College of William & Mary. He was an associate editor of the journal Ethics from 1985-2000, and the editor, with Charlotte B. Becker, of two editions of the Encyclopedia of Ethics.

Preface to the Revised Edition ix

Acknowledgments xvii

PART ONE: THE WAY THINGS STAND

1 The Conceit 3

2 A New Agenda for Stoic Ethics 5

3 The Ruins of Doctrine 8

Science, Logic, and Ethics 8

Norms and Moral Training 14

Virtue and Happiness 20

Commentary 23

Acknowledgments 33

PART TWO: THE WAY THINGS MIGHT GO

4 Normative Logic 37

Norms and Normative Propositions 38

Normative Constructs: Getting from Is to Ought 41

Axioms of Stoic Normative Logic 44

5 Following the Facts 46

Impossibilities 47

A Posteriori Normative Propositions 49

Motivated Norms 56

A Developmental Account of Moral Motivation 60

Heteronomous Endeavors, Autonomous Agency, and Freedom 64

Commentary 75

Acknowledgments 87

6 Virtue 89

Inseparable Agency, Virtue, and Eudaimonia 89

The Development of Virtue through Agency 91

Moral Education and Divergent Paths to Virtue 127

The Argument for Virtue as the Product of Ideal Agency 128

Exalted Virtue 132

Commentary 138

Acknowledgments 153

7 Happiness 155

A Whole Life 155

A Controlled Life 159

Life on the Rack 163

A Good Life 166

Joy 173

Commentary 175

Acknowledgments 191

Appendix A Calculus for Normative Logic 193

Notation and Interpretation 193

Basic Definitions, Rules, and Axioms 197

Normative Constructs 201

Axioms of Stoic Normative Logic 214

Immediate Inferences 215

Commentary 218

Acknowledgments 224

Postscript to the Revised Edition 225

The Virtues of Virtue Ethics in the Stoic Tradition 225

Stoic Politics and Virtue Politics Generally 227

Stoicism as a Guide to Living Well 231

Bibliography 239

Index 253