The Role Ethics of Epictetus av Brian E. Johnson

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The Role Ethics of Epictetus: Stoicism in Ordinary Life offers an original interpretation of Epictetus''s ethics and how he bases his ethics on an appeal to our roles in life. Epictetus believes that every individual is the bearer of many roles from sibling to citizen and that individuals are morally good if they fulfill the obligations associated with these roles. To understand Epictetus''s account of roles, scholars have often mistakenly looked backwards to Cicero''s earlier and more schematic account of roles. However, for Cicero, roles are merely a tool in the service of the virtue of decorum where decorum is one of the four canonical virtues-prudence, justice, greatness of spirit, and decorum. In contrast, Epictetus sets those virtues aside and offers roles as a complete ethical theory that does the work of those canonical virtues.This book elucidates the unique features of Epictetus''s role based ethics. First, individuals have many roles and these roles are substantial enough th