Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

SENECA IN RETIREMENT 131For Seneca philosophy was divided intotwobranches, the one concerned with human andthe other with divine matters. The former iswhat we should now call moral philosophy orethics ;the latter natural science. For the purelyspeculative part of philosophy, for all that hadno bearing either upon the conduct of humanlife or upon the order of nature, he felt not onlyindifference but an impatient contempt.Lucilius,on the other hand, was much more attracted bymetaphysics. He enjoyed the logical puzzles,paradoxes, and distinctions of the schools, andwas constantly endeavouring in his letters toentice Seneca into abstract discussions. Again,in the matter of style, to which Lucilius attacheda high importance, Seneca istoo muchconstantly impressingupon him the danger of paying'attention to words. Ovatio vultus animi est,'*he says. Speech is the countenance of the soul ;if it is over-polished and coloured and, so tospeak, manipulated, one infers that the soul alsois unsound and feeble.' Constantly he returns tothese topics, and dwells on the waste of timeinvolved in idle exercises of ingenuity.How do they help me ?[he asks]. Do they make mebraver, more just, more temperate? I have no leisurefor such exercises ;I still need a doctor. Why teachme this useless science ? You promise great things ; yougive me small ones. You told me I should be fearlesswhen swords were glancing around me, when the dagger'spoint was at my throat ; you said I should be withoutconcern in fire or shipwreck. Teach me to despisepleasure and glory when I have learnt that, we may;