Seneca and the art of living

Best of Seneca's wisdom

The most crucial philosophical lesson is learning to use our time effectively. Seneca devoted his dialogue titled “On the Shortness of Life” to presenting this insight. He defended the thesis that human life is long enough to do all the important things that ensure our happiness. The problem is that we get distracted by unimportant issues and waste years in the pursuit of inconsequential goals. Frantic activity tends to be at odds with effectiveness, warns Seneca. To prove his statement, he pointed to his contemporary Marcus Vinicius, who had devoted three decades of his life to a political career, starting at the lower echelons and climbing the ladder one step at a time. At the end of his life, Vinicius complained that he had been pursuing the wrong goals. He had filled his years with frantic activity, but drawn little satisfaction from the outcome. If had chosen his goals more carefully, he would have been happier. We need to adopt a healthy attitude about achievement, wealth, success and popularity. From the 2nd Letter to Lucilius, I have noted that we tend to obsess about how popular we are, and how much we achieve and how much we earn. I find it particularly important to avoid this kind of mentality. Seneca recounts the story of Calvisius Sabinus, one of his contemporaries. Despite his wealth, Sabinus felt inferior due to his poor education. He was afraid of speaking in public, going to social gatherings, and expressing his opinions. Since his manner of speech lacked elegance, Sabinus feared ridicule. He spent vast amounts on hiring instructors, but those failed to turn him into a polished, self-confident individual. The problem is that Sabinus was placing too much weight on his level of popularity. In reality, not so many people would detect Sabinus’ lack of intellectual polish, and even those, were unlikely to make a big fuss about it. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/best-of-senecas-wisdom/

The impact of Seneca's wisdom

When people read the writings of Seneca and put them into practice, the consequences can be disappointing. If they were looking for easy solutions, they would soon discover that Stoicism is hard to implement and arduous to sustain. Am I exaggerating the difficulties of practising Stoicism in all areas of life? Not in the least. The effort involved can prove much larger than people had expected, and the accompanying fatigue might exhaust their determination. For instance, let us take the recommendations contained in Seneca’s 11th Letter to Lucilius. It advises readers to befriend “only people who will turn them into better persons.” If we put this recommendation into practice, the impact can be gigantic. Do all our friends meet Seneca’s requirement of turning us into better persons? If some fall short in this area, are we ready to unfriend them? What will be the consequences on our social and professional life? Seneca explained that the principle plays in both directions. On the one hand, it is prompting us to end all friendships that fail to turn us into a better person. On the other hand, it tells us to steer away from new ones that do not meet the mark. I think that Seneca should have recounted the story of Gaius Cassius Longinus (86-42 BC), whose philosophy had shifted away from Stoicism. Cassius would have chosen a different course of action if he had stayed loyal to Stoicism. Early in life, Cassius had focused on his career and steered away from political conflict, but later, he joined the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar (100-44 BC). Cassius befriended Brutus, Trebonius and Decimus, and carried out the plan. If Cassius had maintained his Stoic convictions, he wouldn’t have joined the conspiracy. He would have realised that Brutus and the other conspirators were not going to turn him into a better person. None of them fulfilled the Stoic criteria for desirable friendships. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-impact-of-senecas-wisdom/

Seneca and the art of living

In contrast to most Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, Seneca remained highly consistent between his writings and his own life. I am referring specifically to his life in Corsica, where he had been exiled by Emperor Nero (54-68 AD). Seneca’s wisdom or “art of living” has maintained its value through the centuries because it responds to a crucial need. It is answering the question “What to do when things fall apart?” Undoubtedly, we face different challenges nowadays than in the early years of the Roman Empire. Seneca did not have to worry about pollution, overpopulation, inflation, traffic jams or unemployment, but he witnessed first-hand the ravages of war, famine, slavery, and judicial arbitrariness. I’m going to articulate Seneca’s art of living around two key insights. Those are spread across his philosophical writings, which consist of essays (sometimes in a quasi-conversational format) and his Letters to Lucilius. Wealth plays an enabling role in human life, but it is just one factor out of many in the formula for happiness. Seneca is the first author in history to argue at length in favour of leading a modest lifestyle, voluntarily limiting our expenditures. The recommendation of a modest lifestyle was not new, but prior authors had never addressed it in detail. I mean “authors” and not only “philosophers.” We can trace back this idea to the Bible, but not as a central theme in the Ancient Testament. The exhortation to embrace a modest lifestyle appears repeatedly in the Gospels, but those were written long after Seneca’s death. Indeed, Seneca was the first author to recommend discipline in expenditures and a modest lifestyle. I haven’t mentioned the Taoist philosophers Lao-Tzu (571-531 BC) and Chuang-Tzu (369-286 BC) because those had taken poverty for granted. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-and-the-art-of-living/

Risks in Seneca's art of living

The writings of Seneca are so persuasive that readers can be tempted to put them into practice before having a clear idea of the consequences. If they follow Seneca’s advice to the letter, I fear that they could get themselves in trouble.Interpretation is a necessary step between the philosophical ideals presented by Seneca and the reality we face every day. I love Seneca’s insights and examples, but I must remind myself that, due to his high social position, Seneca hadn’t experienced the challenges and constraints of the average citizen.I am not exaggerating when I say that a literal interpretation of Seneca can point people in the wrong direction. I can prove my assertion by pointing to Seneca’s nephew, Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (39-65 AD) or “Lucan.”Lucan was very familiar with the Stoic ideals professed by Seneca. Since an early age, he had embraced the pursuit of truth, self-discipline and steadiness.He was committed to facing life’s difficulties with serenity, as advised by Seneca in the 18th Letter to Lucilius. It teaches us how to counter adversity with calmness, serenity and moral strength. In today’s terms, I would call it “personal growth.”Lucan applied himself to studying, but had too widely interpreted Seneca’s exhortation to pursue self-development. The purpose of Seneca’s recommendation was to encourage the development of virtue, especially moderation.Instead, Lucan interpreted that Seneca was praising study or self-development for career purposes. Seneca’s essay “On the Shortness of Life” and other Ancient Stoics commend us to use time wisely, although not in the context of career development. This didn’t prevent Lucan from working to develop his talents.Lucan focused his efforts on writing the poem “Pharsalia,” a recreation of the civil war that had brought Julius Caesar to power. “Pharsalia” has merit as a poetic work, but during the rise of the Roman Empire, it was rather foolish to write a poem praising the old Roman Republic.Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/risks-in-senecas-art-of-living/

Inconsistencies in Seneca’s art of living

Despite the overall soundness of his ideas, Seneca incurred important inconsistencies. His wisdom or “art of living” needs rectifications to avoid potentially lethal risks. Let us point out those inconsistencies and see how to address them. Three centuries before Seneca, Cleanthes had enunciated a crucial tenet of Stoicism: “People who conform to the dictates of their circumstances tend to do better in life than those who are reluctant.” In order to adapt the original text to modern language, I have translated “fate” by “the dictates of their circumstances.” When Cleanthes used the word “fate,” he was not referring to divine predestination. He just meant “inevitable, inescapable or unavoidable.” His statement entails an inconsistency that runs across the whole Stoic philosophy. The problem arises from the concept of “willing individual.” Cleanthes meant individuals who align their thoughts and actions with fate. He used the word “fate” to underline that those constraints and circumstances cannot be modified. He was taking for granted that individuals cannot steer their life in their chosen direction, and that obstacles and setbacks should be accepted. Cleanthes had overlooked that the terms “willing” and “fate” are incompatible because a willing person has reviewed his options and made a choice, but if there are no options, it is meaningless to speak of “choice” and “willingness.” Immanuel Kant considered freedom of choice a precondition for morality. In his book, “Critique of Practical Reason” published in 1788, he declared it pointless to establish ethical rules for circumstances that do not offer a choice. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/inconsistencies-in-senecas-art-of-living/