Seneca - College of Stoic Philosophers

THE PHILOSOPHY OF SENECA 169In Seneca's view a man cannot be said to livea man's life who does not serve his own will.He becomes an automaton acted on by the materialworld outside him, on which he himself in histurn reacts. True he cannot live for himselfunless he live for others,^ for we are all childrenof the same Father, all members of one greatbody but it is of his own free will that he must;live for others, and not through submission ofhis will to theirs. All action is really voluntary.No man need be a slave who — is ready to take theconsequences to his body pain or death at themost— of a refusal to serve. The doctrine of thedivine immanence was held by Seneca as firmlyas was possible to an understanding so scepticaland an imagination so mobile, and it lies at theroot of his theoryof life.There is no need to raise our hands to heaven [hetells I^uciUus] or to prevail upon the keeper of the templeto admit us to the presence of the image, as ifby suchmeans our prayers were more likely to be heard. Godis near you, He is with you, He is within you. I tellyou, LuciUus, the Holy Spirit abides within us,^ watchingover and guarding our good or evil destiny as we treat:Him, so He treats us. No good man is without God.Can any unassisted by Him rise above Fortune ? Loftyand sublime are His counsels. In every good man Goddwells, though what God is uncertain. ... If you see aman unmoved by danger, unaffected by desires,happyin adversity, calm in the midst of tempests, looking atmen from a higher station, at the gods from a level,1 ' Qui sibi amicus est, scito hunc amicum omnibus esse'{Ep. 6). Alteri vivas oportet, si tibi vis vivere ' {Ep. 48).*'Sacer intra nos spiritus sedet, malorum bonorumquenostrorum observator et custos.'