William O. Stephens is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Creighton University in Nebraska.  His interests include ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, Stoicism as a way of life, Stoicism and popular culture, ethics, animals, and the environment.  He is the author of several books on philosophy, including Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed, Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom and, more recently, Epictetus’s 'Enchiridion': A New Translation and Guide to Stoic Ethics.

He will be speaking at the forthcoming Plato’s Academy Centre virtual conference commemorating Marcus Aurelius’ birthday, Marcus Aurelius Anniversary, alongside Donald Robertson and Dr. John Sellars on Wed April 26th. We’re also honored to have him speak on Philosophy and Resilience at our Sat May 29th virtual conference.

Highlights

* What do you think Marcus thought of Epictetus? 

* Why do you believe Stoicism has gone through a resurgence in popularity in recent decades?

* Were the Stoic unemotional — the role of love.

* Why has Stoicism become more popular than Epicureanism?

* What do you think we can learn from the Stoics about developing psychological resilience?

* Stoicism on animal rights and the environment. 

Links

* “Stoicism and Food Ethics.” Symposion 9, no. 1, Special Issue on Stoicism and Contemporary Thought, S. Aikin and W. O. Stephens, eds. (May 2022): 105–124.

* “Midwest Stoicism, Agrarianism, and Environmental Virtue Ethics.” In Environmental Ethics in the Midwest: Interdisciplinary Approaches, I. A. Smith and M. Ferkany, eds. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, Dec. 2022: 1–42.

* William O. Stephens’ website

Books

* Epictetus’s 'Encheiridion': A New Translation and Guide to Stoic Ethics

* Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom

* Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed

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