The Stoics

by F.H. Sandbach

"Not only one of the best but also the most comprehensive treatment of Stoicism written in this century." -- Times Literary Supplement

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Francis Henry Sandbach

Reviews

[So Hakim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another oddly out of copyright book (pub. 1974) concerning Greek philosophy. Very effective introduction to Stoic philosophers and their ideas.

A certain positive: the book provides historical context on the thinkers. I actually learned much about Posidonius from this, despite years of familiarity with Stoic thoughts.

Presented in chronological order. Due to its copyright status, the book is available at Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/cu3192407...

[Christopher Hellstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dense/dry/rough sledding. But extremely well written and informative.

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short primer on the history of Stoicism, Stoic beliefs, including cosmology which is what I was most interested in, and all the notable Stoics and what each was known for. Very good book for reference

[Michael Baranowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise, workmanlike summary of stoicism, focusing almost entirely on the earlier Stoics. If most of your knowledge of Stoicism revolves around Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, this is a good source for getting a better sense of the origins and development of the philosophy of stoicism.

[Andrew Roxby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, concise, scholarly review of all major aspects of Stoic thought. Perhaps most useful in the modern era because Sandbach shows no undue reverence to the ancients and is comfortable criticizing their arguments where they are plainly contradictory or nonsensical.

[Adam Redfern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dense and not an easy read. However, a great introduction in some of the more notable stoics and their beliefs.

Would maybe recommend just reading The Meditations first and go from there.

[Joshua]

Part of my stoic binge. Good biographical vignettes on the various stages of Stoic thinkers.

[Mike Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of Stoic Philosophy. From Zeno to Epictetus and Aurelius.