Introduction

Guillaume Du Vair was born into an old family in France in 1556. After receiving a good education, he toured Italy and later served for a time as a courtier. He then turned to reflecting on life and published in 1584 a book that combined Stoic and Christian themes, the Sainte philosophic (Holy Philosophy). Du Vair then began a more intensive study of Epictetus, whose Encheiridion or Manual he translated into French, and in 1585 he published his own rewriting of Epictetus, the short Philosophic morale des Stoiques (The Moral Philosophy of the Stoics). Thereafter he became active in politics, rising to high provincial office. In 1603 he was made a bishop, and in 1615 he was required to return to the service of the king. He died in 1621 while on a military campaign.

Of Du Vair's several writings, The Moral Philosophy of the Stoics was the most widely read. Its philosophy, as Du Vair himself pointed out, comes directly from Epictetus, with several passages, such as the advice about how to respond to the death of one's own child, being little more than paraphrases. In general, Du Vair recommended that we follow nature, live according to reason, concern ourselves only with what is within our power and remain unmoved by whatever we cannot control, recognize that reason is the highest part of the self, and see that the good is virtue. He was not interested in spelling out these teachings in detail, much less in proving them.