The Stoic HANDBOOK - College of Stoic Philosophers

More documents

Recommendations

Info

egan. Right now, Stoics are alive and well and organized as never before. We are living as world citizens at New Stoa www.newstoa.com, a cybercity on the Internet. This is the original and oldest Stoic community, founded as a website on the Internet in 1996. We are the Fourth Founder of the Stoa. * * * * Three Roman Stoics The following excerpts are from the three Roman Stoics for which we have complete works. The writings of the Greek Stoics of the earlier Hellenistic Period have all been lost and are only known by fragments of many references to them. Piecing together the thoughts of the Greek Stoics is the work of scholars and has been a goldmine of academic effort in the past century. With the work of the Romans, all written in Latin, there can be little doubt as to what they said and meant. Seneca (c.3 BCE-65) Lucius Annaeus Seneca, aka Seneca the Younger, was a statesman, a Stoic philosopher, and a man of letters. He became chief minister of the Roman Empire for several years while Nero was too preoccupied with hedonistic debauchery to be bothered. Seneca's administration was reputed to be one of the soundest periods of imperial government in its history. In a fit of jealousy, Seneca was later commanded by Nero to commit suicide. The following passages have been selected from Seneca's Letters From A Stoic to provide a sampling of his philosophy and style. They are based upon R.M. Gummere's 1917 translation and have been edited by Erik Wiegardt to reflect a more contemporary punctuation and prose. Letter V, 5: The first thing which philosophy promises is fellowship with all humanity. In other words, belonging and community. We part company with this promise if we are unlike other men. We must see to it that the means by which we wish to draw admiration be not absurd and odious. Our motto, as you know, is "Live according to Nature," but it is quite contrary to nature to torture the body, to hate refinement, to be dirty on purpose, to eat food that is not only plain, but disgusting. Just as it is a sign of luxury to seek out dainties, so it is madness to avoid that which is customary and can be purchased at a reasonable price. Philosophy calls for plain living, not for penance, and we may be plain and neat at the same time. I approve of moderation, and our life should observe a happy medium between the ways of a sage and the ways of the world at large. 18
Letter XVI, 3: Philosophy is not a popular entertainment; it is not devised for show. It is not a matter of words, but of facts. It is not pursued in order that the day may yield some amusement before it is spent, or that our leisure may be relieved of a tedium that irks us. It builds and shapes the soul; it orders our life, guides our conduct, shows us what we should do and what we should leave undone; it sits at the helm and directs our course as we waver amid uncertainties. Without it, no one can live fearlessly or in peace of mind. Countless things that happen every hour call for advice; and such advice is to be sought in philosophy. Letter XXVII, 3: A noble character alone affords everlasting peace and joy. Even if some unpleasantness does arise, it is but a drifting cloud floating in a sunny sky. Letter XXXIII, 11: Truth will never be discovered if we are content with discoveries that have already been made. Besides, he who follows another not only discovers nothing, but is not even investigating. What then? Shall I not follow in the footsteps of my predecessors? I shall indeed use the old road, but if I find one that is a shortcut and is smoother to travel, I shall open the new road. Those who have made these discoveries before us are not our masters, but our guides. Truth lies open for all; it has not yet been monopolized. And, there is plenty of it left even for posterity to discover. Letter XLI, 9: Praise that quality in mankind which can neither be given nor snatched away, that which is the greatness of our kind. Do you ask what this is? It is our soul, and the perfection of reason in that soul. For we are a reasoning animal. Therefore, our highest good is attained if we have fulfilled the good for which we were born. And what is it that reason demands of us? The easiest thing in the world – that we live in accordance with our natures. But this is turned into a hard task by the general madness of the world that pushes each of us into vice. Letter XLVIII, 8-9: Do you really want to know what philosophy offers humanity? Philosophy offers counsel. Death calls away one man, and poverty harasses another; a third is annoyed by his neighbor's wealth or by his own....Humanity is stretching out imploring hands to you on all sides; lives ruined and in danger of ruin are begging for some assistance; humanities' hopes and resources depend upon you. They ask that you deliver them from all their unhappiness, that you reveal to them, scattered and wandering as they are, the clear light of truth. Tell them what Nature has made necessary, and what superfluous; tell them how simple are the laws that it has laid down, how pleasant and easy life is for those who follow these laws, but how bitter and perplexing it is for those who have put their trust in opinions rather than in Nature. 19
Page 1 and 2: The Stoic HANDBOOK Second Edition b
Page 3 and 4: Introduction The Philosopher Everyo
Page 5 and 6: egardless of all else that befalls
Page 7 and 8: FAQs The following are frequently a
Page 9 and 10: value our reason above all, because
Page 11 and 12: The Stoic Tradition That which cont
Page 13 and 14: ecame impatient with their limited
Page 15 and 16: described above, was a devout and p
Page 17: that we should not be deceived by t
Page 21 and 22: is real and substantial, even as it
Page 23 and 24: Book II Chapter 2 Consider, you who
Page 25 and 26: everything which has come into exis
Page 27 and 28: proper fruit. He is like the horse
Page 29 and 30: “The DOE” an extreme synthesis
Page 31 and 32: the name that must always be honora
Page 33 and 34: When we say that virtue and the lac
Page 35 and 36: the thoughts. Dye it, then, with th
Page 37 and 38: Four Practical Exercises Stoics hav
Page 39 and 40: 2. The Queen Maab defense. In the m
Page 41: weight. Without effort, then, we ge

The Stoic HANDBOOK - College of Stoic Philosophers

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?