Seneca and self-discipline

The practice of Seneca's doctrine of moderation

Experience has taught me to be sceptical of philosophical or ideological proclamations, especially when they conflict with my own observations. Seneca wrote abundantly about self-control and moderation, but I see too few successful examples in reality. Did Seneca expect that people would adopt his philosophy? Would he wonder why, centuries later, practically everybody is ignoring his advice? In the 2nd Letter to Lucilius, Seneca stated that “The most precious wealth is to content oneself with a modest lifestyle.” I think that, when he wrote that statement, Seneca was talking to himself and possibly to the few people who read his writings in the first century of our era. Do we see nowadays many people that content themselves with a humble lifestyle? I mean people who have consciously renounced ambition, advancement and improvement. Truth be told, I know a few of those individuals, but their lifestyles are severely limited. I would not want to imitate their boring existence, which they sustain by restricting their desires to the barely minimum. I wonder if the obsession for moderation and self-discipline is derived from ignorance, but presented as deep philosophy. In fact, those people are devoting massive psychological energies to justify their humdrum lifestyle. Would it not be wiser to put those energies to a better use? Seneca never answered this question, not even indirectly. I find it annoying that, instead of providing an answer, he came up with meaningless paradoxes. For instance, in his 15th Letter to Lucilius, paragraph 9, he affirms that “if our happiness depended on the achievement of some goal, we would already be happy.” He encourages us to draw happiness from enjoying our current situation without demanding anything extra. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-practice-of-senecas-doctrine-of-moderation/

Seneca's two principles for a life of moderation

One of the advantages of reading Seneca is that it helps us think in terms of principles. Philosophy is meant to provide universal insights that help us solve problems rapidly. In his 8th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca outlines a key principle for individuals willing to lead a life of moderation. The short version of the principle reads “we become stronger if we resist luxury and embrace a modest lifestyle.” Seneca provides plenty of justifications and examples. He is warning us against luxury in food, clothes and other household expenditures. His all-encompassing warning also comprises our passions and interests. What does Seneca mean by “luxury”? His definition focuses on necessity or essentiality. If we really need an item, then it is not a luxury. Necessary items, he explains, are essential. Their value resides in their function. Seneca’s logic requires us to ignore any considerations of colour, shape, texture or beauty. Those aren’t necessary to fulfil the essential function or necessity. Thus, if they are not strictly necessary, they constitute a luxury. Why does Seneca condemn luxury so sternly? Because it is superficial and distracting, he explains. Luxury consumes our material resources and our mental energies. Those distractions will prevent us from living effectively. Seneca’s argument gains credibility when it is linked to self-sufficiency. Luxury consumes resources that we could have put to better use. In a modern context, those resources could have strengthened our savings and increased our margin of safety. We can find a similar attitude towards luxury in “Walden,” the autobiographical essay by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), but from a different point of view. Seneca had rejected luxury because he wanted to strengthen his philosophical purity. In contrast, Thoreau emphasised self-sufficiency as a hands-on experience that precedes philosophy and wisdom. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/senecas-two-principles-for-a-life-of-moderation/

Seneca and self-discipline

Realistic individuals are naturally suspicious of propositions that look too good to be true. No wonder. Experience proves to all that there is no free lunch, and that we should better watch out when someone promises anything resembling a free lunch. Seneca did not make unrealistic promises. In his writings, he deployed vast efforts to remain sound, credible and down-to-earth. If he failed to achieve total philosophical accuracy, it is because of insufficient knowledge, not because of bad intentions. Like Aristotle (384-322 BC) had done in his “Nicomachean Ethics,” Seneca concluded that our happiness greatly depends on our self-discipline. If we keep pushing in the right direction, chances are that we will achieve our goals. Nevertheless, when it comes to self-discipline, there are two key differences between Aristotle’s ideas and those of Seneca. I admit the difficulty of detecting those differences in the short-term, but in the long term, they carry a determinant weight. The first difference between Aristotle and Seneca revolves around the purpose of self-discipline. Why should we adopt the habits of constancy and consistency? What is the point of self- discipline in a world where many people have no qualms about their disorderly thoughts and actions? Aristotle viewed self-discipline as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. His “Eudemian Ethics” portray the pursuit of a better life as a long-term undertaking. We can improve, but it is going to take time and effort. Self-discipline, according to Aristotle, is an investment that should deliver benefits over time. If we pursue goals dictated by reason, self-discipline will draw us closer to those goals. In Aristotle’s works, “eudaimonia” or happiness remains the ultimate goal of human life. Self-discipline provides the bricks with which to build the house and the seeds we need to plant the garden. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-and-self-discipline/

Critique of Seneca's call for self-discipline

Seneca’s fall from grace in the early Roman Empire had been spectacular. In a short period, he had gone from imperial chancellor to deportee. He had gone from the luxuries of Rome to exile on an island in the Mediterranean. Can self-discipline protect us from suffering when we face a severe reversal of fortune? Seneca thought so and viewed self-discipline as the best training method against suffering. Seneca’s writings emphasise that misfortunes, disasters and bad luck will have little bearing on individuals who have been training themselves to be resilient. We can draw great benefits from those mental preparations, explains Seneca, because when adversity occurs, “it won’t take us by surprise.” He is referring to a general mental preparation, not to adopting specific measures against all kinds of disaster. Seneca’s philosophy of self-discipline seems credible at first sight, but contains an error that cannot be cured. When making his recommendation for self-discipline, Seneca didn’t know the concept of opportunity cost. I am not accusing Seneca of ignorance or negligence since none of his contemporaries had ever heard of the concept of opportunity cost. No wonder, since it was discovered hundreds of years later by Friedrich von Wieser (1851-1926). Wieser contributed greatly to economic analysis by pointing out that, when we make decisions, we tend to consider not only the visible costs, but also the opportunity costs. For example, if we opt for enrolling in university to pursue a four-year degree, we can calculate the visible costs by adding the costs of tuition, textbooks, accommodation, food and other necessities. However, our decision also entails opportunity costs, that is, the cost of not doing other things during those four years. Our energies could have been devoted to a full-time job, to starting a business, or to relocating to China and learning Chinese. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/critique-of-senecas-call-for-self-discipline/

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/