A strong and consistent reading of an ambiguous text is always welcome, and Johnson's effort to think through what a role-based ethics might entail is of philosophical interest regardless of its fit with Epictetus' ancient project. Readers at all levels will benefit, too, from Johnson's consistently patient and clear manner of laying out the issues and from his meticulous references ... Read moreto related passages elsewhere in the corpus.
Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Brian Johnson's study is the most extensive analysis to date of the importance of roles in Epictetus' ethics. The work is `good to think with': it provides ample textual evidence for its claims and robust analyses, it is generally lucidly written, and has a good bibliography
Archiv fur Geschichte der Philosophie
This is a fresh approach that puts role ethics squarely at center stage in understanding Epictetus's philosophy. With a lucid, penetrating, and original analysis, Johnson makes a strong case for both the importance of roles in Epictetus's Stoicism and the originality of Epictetus's version of role ethics. This study is a very welcome contribution to scholarship on Epictetus.
William O. Stephens, Creighton University Show Less