Serenity in a deckchair

Staying stoic. Passed into everyday language, the word invites us to remain impassive, unmoved by any situation. But is that really what Stoicism means? Is that the essence of this school of philosophy founded by Zeno in the 3rd century BC?

A philosopher with a gift for making ideas accessible, Hélène Soumet retraces the long history of this school of thought – its birth and its revivals over the centuries – and dwells on its leading thinkers, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, while explaining what Stoicism is and setting out its key concepts.

Often seen as a philosophy for living better, Stoicism can become a tool for facing life’s ups and downs. With the Stoics, enjoy the beach in complete serenity!

Rediscovering Simone de Beauvoir

How did Simone de Beauvoir redefine the image of women?

Writer, philosopher and feminist, Simone de Beauvoir was above all a free woman. She won her freedom very young. Seeing through her mother the place assigned to women, she broke free from the codes of her time: she refused marriage, went to university and worked. Independent, the philosopher was also a passionate woman, a tireless traveller and a loyal friend.

Through the life choices, commitments and thought of the writer, Hélène Soumet paints the portrait of a woman who lived “the adventure of being oneself”. Even today, Simone de Beauvoir questions morality, unsettles our relationship to femininity and opens a path so that woman may never again be man’s Other.

Epicurus and subtle pleasure

Settle into a deckchair, close to the “sparkling sea”, and discover the irreverent, rebellious thinker that Epicurus was.

He attacked the institutions of the city, superstition, conventional morality, the pursuit of glory and wealth – and even overly abstract philosophy. And yet Epicureanism, devoted to the search for happiness, was said in Athens to have the charm and sweetness of the Sirens.

Instead of endlessly waiting for some future happiness, later on… Instead of living in fear of suffering, of want, of death, learn to savour the most exquisite pleasures and, above all, never to postpone the moment of being happy – for it is here and now that we feel the joy of “living like a god among men”.

THE GREAT THINKERS

The authors paint lively, sensitive and richly illustrated portraits of humanity’s great thinkers.

Clear language makes their thought accessible to all and delights minds eager for knowledge, curious to learn the answers to humankind’s essential questions about truth, the meaning of our lives, moral principles and the existence of God.  

The authors wanted to share their enthusiasm for the thought of those who illuminated their age and still speak to our truth-seeking minds – minds forever in search of fulfilment and happiness. 

MYTHS: A CAPTIVATING STORY WITH A TOUCH OF PHILOSOPHY

Have you heard of Procrustes, the Greek innkeeper slain by Theseus on the road from Troezen to Athens?

A piece of orthodontic software bears his name; administrations “procrusteanise” family names, and computers your password.

Tantalus, who suffered the famous torment, points to our troubling human nature, at once animal and divine.

Narcissus, turned into a delicate, fragrant flower, reminds us that we must love ourselves – but that “oneself” is not one’s self-image.

Each myth is told, interpreted and analysed to draw surprising and ever-relevant lessons, for mythology tells the story of universal humankind.