How to Do the Right Thing: An Ancient Guide to Treating People Fairly

(Hardback)

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How ancient Stoicism can help teach us to treat othersand ourselvesmore fairly and mercifully

There are times when weve all felt that we havent been treated as we deservethat weve been misjudged, shortchanged, or given a raw deal. And, at one time or another, other people have probably felt that weve treated them just as unfairly. How to Do the Right Thing draws on the principles of ancient Stoicism as articulated by the Roman statesman and philosopher Seneca to help readers better navigate one of the most important practical questions of daily lifehow to do right by others.

Starting from the virtue of magnanimitythe opposite of small-mindednessHow to Do the Right Thing draws together lessons from Senecas writings that stress the importance of calm and clear thinking, of judging oneself fairly before judging others, and of cutting people slack, with a bias toward mercyall delivered in crisp and lively new translations, and with the original Latin on facing pages.

Author Bio

Robert A. Kaster is professor emeritus of classics and Kennedy Foundation Professor Emeritus of Latin at Princeton University. His books include The Appian Way: Ghost Road, Queen of Roads and (with Martha C. Nussbaum) Seneca: Anger, Mercy, Revenge.