Panaetius of Rhodes (2nd century BC) is often considered a heterodox Stoic, exhibiting significant differences from his predecessors, Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus. Notably, scholars of Stoicism have observed that Panaetius appears to have lost interest in the figure of the wise man as a model of moral and epistemic perfection, as conceived by the early Stoics. However, the textual evidence that would confirm this abandonment is inconclusive. The reasons behind this shift are also unclear. Ther…
Read morePanaetius of Rhodes (2nd century BC) is often considered a heterodox Stoic, exhibiting significant differences from his predecessors, Zeno, Cleanthes and Chrysippus. Notably, scholars of Stoicism have observed that Panaetius appears to have lost interest in the figure of the wise man as a model of moral and epistemic perfection, as conceived by the early Stoics. However, the textual evidence that would confirm this abandonment is inconclusive. The reasons behind this shift are also unclear. Therefore, this work has two objectives. Firstly, it aims to critically review the textual material that suggests Panaetius lost interest in the wise man. Secondly, it aims to explain why Panaetius changed his focus. To achieve this, Panaetius will be presented as a recipient of a philosophical tradition interested in types of life. As such, he will criticise and modify the positions of his predecessors, who attached great importance to the sage. He will also introduce new theoretical developments that diminish the relevance of such a wise figure. At the same time, he will approach those who do not pay attention to the wise man in their study of types of life.
