A thinking man’s influence from the past is still relevant today

The ancient Greek sage and philosopher Epictetus (c. 50-c. 120 CE) was born a slave, and his teachings about freedom and human dignity have echoed through the millennia—in the writings of Spinoza, Thomas Paine and Martin Luther King Jr. From numerous references in his transcribed Discourses, it is clear that Epictetus was much concerned with human behavior. His advice to not worry about what is not in our control is pointedly relevant to our busy modern society—which is often fraught with anxiety.

In April 2012, attendees from the United States, Poland and the United Kingdom came to a conference at Rochester Institute of Technology on Epictetus: His Continuing Influence and Contemporary Relevance—the title of this new book published by RIT Press.

Edited by Dane R. Gordon and David B. Suits, the book is part of the RIT Press Philosophy Series and offers a variety of topics addressed by essays that were discussed at the conference.

As the editors explain in the introduction, “The reader may notice the range of topics the authors address, an indication to us that what Epictetus taught provides strong incentive to contemporary philosophical thinking.”

Epictetus: His Continuing Influence and Contemporary Relevance is available in softcover for $24.95 at http://ritpress.rit.edu or by calling RIT Press at 585-475-6766.

Note: RIT Press is the scholarly publishing enterprise at Rochester Institute of Technology—dedicated to the innovative use of new publishing technology while upholding high standards in content quality, publication design, and print/digital production. The Press offers specialized titles for niche academic audiences, trade editions for mass-market audiences and occasional limited editions with unique aesthetic standards.