Whatever is Rational is Tolerable
90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books
‘I must die. But must I die bawling?’
What does it mean to live a virtuous life? How can we rise above pain and anguish? In these teachings from Book 1 of his Discourses, ancient philosopher Epictetus outlines a practical approach to Stoicism that has inspired thinkers for centuries, from Marcus Aurelius to Theodore Roosevelt, offering enduring wisdom on resilience, virtue and the pursuit of meaning.
Epictetus (c. AD 55–135) was a teacher and Greco-Roman philosopher. Originally a slave from Hierapolis in Anatolia (modern Turkey), he was owned for a time by a prominent freedman at the court of the emperor Nero. After gaining his freedom he moved to Nicopolis on the Adriatic coast of Greece and opened a school of philosophy there. His informal lectures (Discourses) were transcribed and published by his student Arrian, who also composed a digest of Epictetus's teaching known as the Manual (or Enchiridion).
Major Works of the Stoics 3-Book Boxed Set
Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus; Translated by Martin Hammond, Robin Campbell, and Robert Dobbin; Cover illustrated by Coralie Bickford-Smith
Whatever is Rational is Tolerable
Epictetus
Great Ideas V of Human Freedom
Epictetus
Discourses and Selected Writings
Epictetus; Translated and Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Robert Dobbin
