STOIC PHILOSOPHY

Gleanings from the Writings of Seneca

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Lucius Annaeus Seneca was born around 4 BCE (749 AUC) in Cordova, Spain. Referred to by some as Seneca the younger, he was the son of M. Annaeus Seneca. He was a sickly child and spent his childhood in Rome being nursed by an aunt, who later helped launch his official career. He was a successful lawyer and became rather wealthy. He was greatly disliked by the emperor Caligula, exiled by Claudius, and later employeed as the tutor of the young emperor Nero. When rumors, falsely, convinced Nero that Seneca was a member of a plot to assassinate him, Nero forced Seneca to commit suicide. Seneca wrote mainly three types of works. He wrote essays on Stoic philosophy and beliefs. He wrote letters or epistles to give philosophical advice to his friends. And, he wrote intense, violent plays which focused on Stoic belief that disaster results from passion destroying reason.

Seneca's stoicism tells us that the highest good is VIRTUE. One should strive to "do the right thing" and be indifferent toward everything else. Seneca tells us that there is a god within each and every person to guide him along the path that Providence has laid for him. True happiness means being in accord with ones own nature and following this inner guide and being content with ones lot in life. Seneca exclaims the Oneness of all Gods. He advises us to care for humanity and to live a simple life.