Seneca (Stoicism Part II)

The expression "time flies" (a paraphrase of Virgil) is well known to us. It signifies the disquiet many feel from the sense that time is moving too quickly, that life is passing us by,  and most serious of all the sense that we must ultimately confront our mortality. In this classic essay, Seneca argues that our real problem is not our lack of time, but our failure to make good use of the time we are given. As the essay turns to many related topics, it ultimately becomes a plea for the role of philosophy in human life.

How to find tranquility in one of life´s central question. Here Seneca discusses with his friend Serenus how to remain calm amid constantly shifting fortunes, the importance of friendship, how to cope with with the vices of humanity and the world´s tumults, among other topics.

Seneca argues that anger is one of the main sources of unhappiness and evil-doing in our world, leading in the worst cases to countless examples of crime and violence within communities, families, and even between nations. Even in milder forms it harms human relationships and often makes the angry person himself or herself unhappy.  Here Seneca turns to the question of how Stoicism can help a human being to understand and manage anger.

Perhaps the saddest and most difficult experience most human beings can expect to face is the inevitable loss of loved ones. In this essay Seneca explains how stoicism as a philosophy can help a person manage grief and mourning looking principally at his Consolation to Polybius over the loss of his brother. We will also touch on his Consolation to Helvia written to his mother to console her during his exile.

Seneca´s 124 "Moral Letters to Lucillius" deal with a dizzying variety of subjects concerning Stoicism and its efforts to address the central problems of human life. Here we select only a handful which both address perennial concerns while shedding light on Stoic attitudes to issues of contemporary Roman society.  These include the need for moderation, how philosophy is helpful to human life, the danger of crowds, endurance, education, his moral position on slavery and gladiator games,  and the characteristics of the true sage.