De officiis vs Self-knowledge: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Ethics, Conduct of life, Early works to 1800
De officiis
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The most extraordinary and influential treatise ever written on political ethics. Though composed in late 44 B.C., it is relevant and applicable even today. Cicero has outlined all the aspects which aspiring politicians…
Self-knowledge
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published 1813. covered in brown (leather or paper?) Hardbound, abt 51/2 by 31/2" written in old fashioned type; f's look like s's
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Self-knowledge is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 7 for De officiis.
- Self-knowledge has the widest readership — 5 ratings behind its score.
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Scores by source
| De officiis | Self-knowledge | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.5 (2) | — |
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Reception
| De officiis | Self-knowledge | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2 | 5 |
| Editions | 129 | 96 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 3 | — |
| Written reviews | 1 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 1837 | 41 |
| Pages | 423 | 236 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: De officiis or Self-knowledge?
Self-knowledge has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Self-knowledge 3.8/5, De officiis 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: De officiis or Self-knowledge?
Self-knowledge is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Self-knowledge (236 pages, ≈ 4 h 22 m); De officiis (423 pages, ≈ 7 h 50 m).
Which is harder to read: De officiis or Self-knowledge?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — De officiis: Demanding; Self-knowledge: Demanding.