Letters from a Stoic

“But if you are looking on anyone as a friend when you do not trust him as you trust yourself, you are making a grave mistake, and have failed to grasp sufficiently the full force of friendship.”

The importance of friendship in the improvement of a philosopher is a topic of recurring focus for Seneca. Despite the Stoic view of detachment, Seneca takes the topic of friendship very seriously. He believes friendship is a serious and intimate bond that necessitates absolute trust.

“The standard which I accept is this: One’s life should be a compromise between the ideal and the popular morality.”

While discussing the proper way to present oneself, Seneca establishes a principle that applies to much of the rest of his writings. Seneca’s advice often takes a middle path between ideal Stoic detachment and the facts of human fragility, exemplifying the problem of Virtuous Action in an Ethically Complex World.

“Reflect that nothing merits admiration except the spirit, the impressiveness of which prevents it from being impressed by anything.”

Seneca emphasizes the Stoic principle of virtue as the only good. He urges the reader not to consider external possessions or social status but only the strength of one’s character—that is, the virtue they possess. That the spirit is not “impressed” by anything shows the insignificance of external influences in the life of the wise man, who understands that only internal possessions are valuable.

“Self-contended as he is, then, he does need friends—and wants as many of them as possible—but not to enable him to lead a happy life; this he will have even without friends.”

Seneca’s Stoic is both entirely content with himself and happy in the presence of others. This is not a contradiction for Seneca; he stresses that even if (as is possible and even desirable) one is happy by virtue of personal development alone, friendship can improve one’s life. This exemplifies his attempts to bring Stoicism in line with the facts of human nature while not altering its most fundamental principles.

“If God adds the morrow we should accept it joyfully. The man who looks for the morrow without worrying over it knows a peaceful independence and a happiness beyond all others.”

Seneca’s differentiation between enjoying living and being afraid of death reveals his ideas about Contentment and the Acceptance of Fate. A content Stoic, he argues, will always be ready to die, having reconciled themselves to the fact that every day could be their last. This acceptance of mortality will enhance the enjoyment of life, as they will treat each day as a gift without worrying about whether more days will follow.

“We have good reason to say: ‘I trust this finds you in pursuit of wisdom.’ For this is precisely what is meant by good health. Without wisdom the mind is sick, and the body itself, however physically powerful, can only have the kind of strength that is found in persons in a demented or delirious state.”

The Pursuit of Wisdom is central to leading a good life in Seneca’s eyes. Given his adherence to the Stoic principle that virtue is the sole good, pursuing virtue through wisdom is accordingly the best life. This quote shows his emphasis on the internal nature of this pursuit; external health does not impact internal wisdom, and health is never true if it is not based on the soundness of the mind.

“It is clear to you, I know, Lucilius, that no one can lead a happy life, or even one that is bearable, without the pursuit of wisdom, and that the perfection of wisdom is what makes the happy life, although even the beginnings of wisdom make life bearable.”

In this quote, Seneca underscores the indispensable role of wisdom in leading a fulfilling life. He asserts that the pursuit of wisdom is not only necessary for happiness but merely for making life “tolerable.” Here again Seneca’s prioritization of wisdom is evident. It forms for him the core (and only essential) component of a good life.

“She will encourage us to submit to God with cheerfulness and to fortune with defiance; she will show you how to follow God and bear what chance may send you.”

Stoic determinism appears frequently in Seneca. He often states that people have no control over their fate and suggests that the solution to this is an embrace of philosophy (here personified as a woman). In this quote, Seneca acknowledges the possibility that life is not predetermined but instead subject to random chance. Nevertheless, he views philosophy as the answer; the resilience and fortitude it instills is critical regardless of what causes events.

“[I]f you want to know why all this running away cannot help you, the answer is simply this: you are running away in your own company.”

Among Seneca’s recurring topics is the view that travel is useless as a method of improving one’s mental state, which he considers unaffected by any external changes. As he explains in this quote, an external change will not impact the true cause of distress, which is oneself.

“Truth lies open to everyone. There has yet to be a monopoly of truth. And there is plenty of it left for future generations.”

Seneca’s interpretation of truth is connected both to his role as a philosopher and his Stoic ideology. As a philosopher seeking to make his mark on the subject, he is keen to emphasize that previous philosophers have not completed the study of the subject; there is still more to do. As a Stoic, Seneca believes in the ability to discover divine laws through reason. These divine laws are not exclusively understood by one school of thinkers or one generation but instead can be apprehended by any sufficiently trained individual.

“This rapidity of utterance recalls a person running down a slope and unable to stop where he meant to, being carried on instead a lot farther than he intended, at the mercy of his body’s momentum; it is out of control, and unbecoming to philosophy, which should be placing her words, not throwing them around, and moving forward step by step.”

Here Seneca shows that he not only has strong opinions on what philosophy is but on how it should be presented. Seneca views speaking quickly as symptomatic of a philosopher concerned more with the skill of their own rhetoric than the truth of their words and suggests that the speed with which they speak is likely to hamper their success in argument. As a philosopher is always controlled, their speech must reflect this.

“For man is a rational animal. Man’s ideal state is realized when he has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born. And what is it that reason demands of him? Something very easy—that he live in accordance with his own nature.”

Stoicism views humans as fundamentally rational because of their soul, which is a divine gift. Consequently, the goal of life is to live in accordance with one’s rational nature. In this quote Seneca lays out this central principle of Stoic thought, which justifies his emphasis on learning philosophy. Through philosophy humans develop their rationality and thus achieve their purpose in life.

“I propose to value them according to their character, not their jobs. Each man has a character of his own choosing; it is chance or fate that decides his choice of job.”

Seneca’s writings show an egalitarian view of humanity that does not emphasize social status. This belief in the fundamental similarity of humans derives from the Stoic idea that all humans have the capacity for internal development due to their souls. This view is notably different from those of many other ancient thinkers. For example, Ancient Greek philosophers frequently connected virtue to physical beauty and physical beauty to social class. Seneca’s statements thus show the unique nature of Stoic thought.

“Shall I tell you what philosophy holds out to humanity? Counsel.”

This quote is a useful summary of an idea that Seneca returns to often. He stresses that philosophy has the singular purpose of helping people. From this position he dismisses logical puzzles and liberal studies as focused on the wrong goal.

“There is no such thing as ‘peaceful stillness’ except where reason has lulled it to rest.”

The ability to be at peace is inescapably connected to philosophical development in Seneca’s writings. Through exercising the capacity for reason, Seneca believes, people can overcome their fears and physical circumstances, achieving a fundamentally contended mind. By contrast, seeking peace through moving to a place that is quieter is useless, as the mind itself will still be unsettled. As always, Seneca values internal improvement over external change.

“So let us bear it constantly in mind that those we are fond of are just as liable to death as we are ourselves.”

Whenever Seneca discusses overcoming any form of hardship, including one’s own death or the death of others, he offers similar advice. This advice centers on the importance of acknowledging that bad things will unavoidably happen in life. By reminding oneself of this, hardships will be less surprising and therefore less impactful.

“Stop wherever you will—only make sure that you round it off with a good ending.”

Seneca does not view death as a negative. Dying is simply the inevitable end of life and one of the duties people must perform. Due to this, he remarks in Letter 77 that the important element of dying is not when it happens but that a person confronts it nobly. Dying well by showing no fear or reluctance is the end Stoics should aspire to. If sources are to be believed, it is the end Seneca met with his imperially ordered suicide.

“I have no respect for any study whatsoever if its end is the making of money.”

Seneca frames philosophy as the primary means of helping people. Consequently, any study meant to engender worldly wealth is a waste of time in comparison. Further, having the aim of making money shows that one is not content with one’s current station and desires more. Stoicism rejects desire, proposing that people should accept whatever fate has in store for them.

“Philosophy has the single task of discovering the truth about the divine and human worlds. The religious conscience, the sense of duty, justice and all the rest of the close-knit, interdependent ‘company of virtues’, never leave her side.”

Seneca emphasizes that developing reason leads to a generally better character. Reason acts as a guiding force that will naturally lead to other virtues. Accordingly, the Stoic wise man exhibits a well-rounded moral character, acting not just as a source of wisdom but as a model of ethical action within the world.

“We are born for it, but not with it. And even in the best of people, until you cultivate it there is only the material for virtue, not virtue itself.”

Seneca believes one has achieved virtue when one has developed the necessary skills to choose a life of adherence to natural laws. While he praised the lifestyle of prehistoric people who were not yet corrupted by vices, he therefore does not consider them virtuous. Virtue requires the study of philosophy and the conscious development of rational action.

“So the spirit must be trained to a realization and an acceptance of its lot. It must come to see that there is nothing fortune will shrink from, that she wields the same authority over emperor and empire alike, and the same over cities as men. There’s no ground for resentment in all this. We’ve entered into a world in which these are the terms life is lived on—if you’re satisfied with that, submit to them, if you’re not, get out, whatever way you please.”

Seneca’s deterministic view of the future applies even to the most powerful people and institutions: the emperor and the empire. The reference may hint at the reason for the popularity of Stoicism among upper-class Romans of Seneca’s age. With the foundation of the empire, Roman aristocrats’ ability to influence state policies was curtailed. Government was now subject to the whims of emperors. Stoic theories on how to cope with a world in which free will is limited may have provided comfort to Romans seeking to come to terms with the changed political paradigm.

“For concessions have to be made to legitimate emotions.”

Seneca’s acceptance of how emotions influence actions shows the practicality of his Stoicism. While Stoicism advocated for a detachment from the world, Seneca noted that one may consider others’ feelings in deciding on one’s actions. This aligns better with the facts of human nature, allowing for empathy and understanding to play a role in the wise man’s life.

“Never to wrong others takes one a long way toward peace of mind.”

Seneca here gives simple ethical advice. While his suggestion not to wrong others is broad, it demonstrates his interpretation of how the Stoic should behave in society. Keeping largely to oneself and avoiding giving purposeful offence to others allow for contentment, as they remove unnecessary complications. Seneca, as always, keeps an eye on showing the practical methods by which one may approach Stoicism’s aims.