The sun., 1903-02-07
NEW hooks.
atOicisn,

11he Egyptian Book OF the Dead for a
|. iccinc and interesting account Of Greek
| nd Roman Stoicism and Some OF Its Dis
iples' Boston. Herbert B. Turner 4 Coz.
is no outworn subject which the author
( this book has chosen to discuss; the
'veachlngs and the lives Of the great ex-
toundrrs Of Stoicism have not ceased to be
Regarded with sympathy by well-informed
ind thoughtful men, for to the Stole theory
( ethics was mainly due the benign trans
formation Of Roman Jurisprudence which
Jn its turn, has exercised humanizing and
elevating Influence upon legislation and
case law in all civilized countries Many
volumes would be needed to set forth an
exhaustive history OF Stoicism from the
formulation Of its theory by Zeno at Athens,
near the close Of the fourth century B. c.,
10 the death Of its supreme exemplar in
praCri.c. Marcus Aurelius, near the end of
the second century Of our era. 1t is a salts
factory outline. however, which Dr. Davis
has given us within the compass of some
two hundred pages, to which are added
selections from Seneca, Epctetus and the
author of the -Meditations"
Ieno began as a follower Of the Cynics,
bat he came TO regard asceticism "a an in
df'Oldle utnHiliOH Oh virtue, lie was
equally opposed to Plato's doctrine that
virtue consists m contemplation, and to
that of Epicurus. that virtue consists in
refined and intelligent pleasure. He held
that virtue must be active. not passive. and
that 10 practice it was the highest duty of
man knowledge was needed, however i'm
order TO practice virtue. Xeno was per-
.saded that il men only knew what they
ought To do they would do il. With him
arss furnishes the data of knowledge, and
reason combines them. Considered IA "A
moralst he taught that man mus, live To- be
virtuous, to do brave deeds, to be a man IN
the true Latin sense Of the word ririus In
the field of speculative thought he sought
10 oppose epticism. which was casting a
veil Of doubt and uncertainty over every
thing pertaining to the soul and 10 God In
his teaching he avoided Interference with
the national religion, all of whose divinities
we're To him manifestations of the one SUI
preme Being Such being his philosophical
conception Of the Greek deities. he was able
without dissimulation to respect popular
heefs The result was that tire Athenians.
who had given hcmlock to Socrates, hOHurCd
Ieno with brazen statue and a golden
crown. At first the progress Of Stoicisn
was slow. but by the close of the third
century b G. the science az the principles
on which the moral life ough, 20 be founded
h,a .,ar t,,I, dor.Ion.d !, rho ,,,d. g
-. sroa.ssors oorspi,,,,,,- an,
,,,,, ,,.,,u, .,,h.s and as,,..,'i. Iie.
,r..,.ai,,,.
rjs,,, vaors l,,.r ,ho S,o,o ,b;r,.,,.,,,,.
,i -. al sn, ',.' 49,
III, ,,o,, A.ba,s 10 po,,,, H..
,,ia II t,,s IL .;,..'i
i 49, i'll, -, 49,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ..o;..i. a..
Li..,,ia,, pai,.,i,,s al ,ha ,a,, -,
,,I,a..,;,, A, pnn, iI,is,, 81, ,,,,.,.
t., .au. :, ,,. =, ,.,,,h -.
-. ehuoo.,,,, -. H. D,
r.. -, -, :, ,ai, ~, -,
~ a-ras, -, a,s,a,i,, ~ H., a''Is a.,
'.,eI;s,is. =, ,s' -. Wv
,; ,,I i,,,,laaa ,..., ,l,a 80 ..,,,,.,,.',
a -u,;,;,,, -, -. ,,,;x, III ,,,,|,.,
q, 80 -, .,,,r,,h, .rh., s,r,,,.,i -
RI, ,ha sa,r., ~ h.r a,,,,ir. loo in .ho
actor in an on.ara,ive code or Looor do.
urss,ic civic and ,o,,,o,a,iv,,y ;n,.,r,
,ional As Wa have said. the Stole concan-
,iop of vir,ue corrssnondad closelv IN tho
ranga Of ou,lties danotej hv tho Roue.,
word for ma anliness The traditional ,vn..s
80 Roman ma, riot had been So many hj.-
,nricol exemplifications of Stoicism as We,
unformulated Cato Of Utica who was tyn-
icallv Roman. bv his fault. and limitations
A. much az by his ba ckbone of virtue. was
to become for a time the ideal OF Roman
Stoicism. Under the early empir. the srea,
rIri.rs of Rome were familiar with the
stole philosophy. inasmuch as his had be-.
come an important element in Poman eolu-
cation.
The effect of this philosophy on Roman
uri.prudence is dis;inguishabe in two
direct ions. In the first place. the Roman
furists derived from Stoicism their con-
cap,i,n Of the fundamental PRINCIPLES ac-
rnrdinr 10 which human conduct should
-. shaped. 1t was through this conception
hat : hov we re led o bring the JUS az entiIm--.
which NAV ba roughly described as the
Roman system of eouity-into harmony
with the Stoical theory Of natural law.
Hence their enunciation Of the JUS natVrdie,
ortha, law which springs from he universal
nature Of man, and the general abiding
conditions Of human life and society, in