1.1: The Letters on Morality by Seneca, my notes
In August 2023 we are reading: The Letters on Morality by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Classics Reader's Diary is about encouraging you, the inquisitive reader, to focus on literature that withstood the test of time, helping you to enjoy it by providing the necessary context about the authors, the books, and the times they were written at.
In August 2023 we were reading: The Letters on Morality by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
It is impossible and, moreover, unnecessary, to try to cover all the topics touched upon by Seneca in his ‘Letters’, therefore I assume my task here is to brighten only some of the gems that can be found in this work and, by focusing your attention on them, encourage you to reflect on them once again — that is, if you have already read the book, or to invite you to read it, if you are still hesitating.
Alas, in any case there is something to learn from this diary entry alone.
On Friendship
One of the recurrent themes of Seneca’s ‘Letters’ is the attempt to define friends and friendship. One may only imagine how much time he spent thinking of a phenomenon, since it was unimaginably difficult to find and sustain sincere relationships with people he genuinely liked being, in different parts of his life, an ex-politician of a high caliber exiled to a remote island, and then — an adviser to the emperor Nero.
If you call anyone a friend whom you do not trust as much as you do yourself, you are seriously mistaken, and do not know the meaning of a true friendship. [Letter 3 (Book I.3)]
Thus Seneca gives probably the simplest and the truest definition of what a friendship is. I am attracted to the thought that it is, in the end, not about the similar values or goals of the two of you, it is not about your occupation or hobbies. What defines friendship is trust.
So shy are you providing yourself with a friend? To have someone for whom I can die, someone to follow into exile, so that I can put myself in the path of his death and sacrifice myself. [Letter 9 (Book I.9)]
The idea of sacrifice is one of the most prevalent ones when Seneca talks about true friendship. It is also confirmed by his view on how to put friends to test, or rather figure out if they are ‘real’. Later Seneca would say that false friends flee from the situations when their friendship might be put to test, emphasising that friendship can be easily detected by mere attitude: real friends would gladly put themselves in the position where they can make sacrifices in the sake of friendship. I find this almost eye-opening: contrary to the popular saying ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’, you don’t have to wait till you find yourself in need. Just look at your friend’s reaction to the mere prospect of it.
On poverty and riches
Contrary to the somewhat popular belief, Seneca does not promulgates poverty (as Diogenes, whom he respects but doesn’t use as a role model, used to do), thus contradicting to his own deeds — Seneca was indeed one of the richest men in Rome. One of the central ideas concerning material benefits was that a wise man should treat them as ‘neutral’ — meaning that his mood, his life goals, and his values should not in any way be dependant on it.
Let us train ourselves for combat with the wooden post, and make poverty familiar company so that fortune does not catch us unawares. We will be more carefree as rich men if we know how far from hard it is to be poor. [Letter 18 (Book II.6)]
It can be hard to appreciate Seneca’s words knowing he lived a very prosperous life even by modern standards, however, I do think we should take them at face value — there is no evidence Seneca was insincere. And indeed, the core idea, which is that if we do not let the fear of losing certain luxuries to affect us, we will enjoy peace of mind, and enjoyment from what we already have is going to be more fulfilling, rings true to me.
On goodness
How to be a good man (‘a wise man’) remains one of the central ideas of not only ‘Letters’ and Seneca’s philosophical inquiries, but of the Stoicism in general. here Seneca gives the most laconic definition of the term possible.
For as man is a reasoning creature, so his goodness is complete if it has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born. And what is it that reason demands from him? A very easy thing: to live according to his nature. [Letter 41 (Book IV.12)]
Every second letter (roughly) of Seneca is indeed dedicated to the notion of a good man — the values he should have, the way he treats different circumstances and ways of life. It is worth paying attention to these notions, since this part — the one that can be classified as a moral philosophy and ethics part of Seneca’s philosophy — is according to many most curious and substantial.
As with other matters, Seneca warns his reader it is not going to be easy:
You have promised to be a good man, the greatest bond to ensure a good state of mind, and you have done it on oath. Anyone who tells you the campaign will be soft and easy will be making fun of you. I don’t want you to be deceived. [Letter 37 (Book IV.8)]
In conclusion
Classics scholars might dedicate their whole life to studying Seneca’s ‘Letters’ — so vast a work this is, full of reflections, quotations, context, intriguing references — as well as inconsistencies, of course. However, it is also a great start for an inquisitive reader who would like to familiarise himself with the greatest works of Classics literature and philosophy.
There is also no shortage of pointy aphorisms that work very well on their own, and has potential to guide and inspire even when taken out of the context.
You should change your attitude, not your surroundings. (Letter 28, Book III.7)
Well, it was a great journey reading The Letters on Morality by Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Next time we’ll meet again to talk about how to approach reading The Tempest by one of the greatest English poets, William Shakespeare.
Bye!
Yours,
Mark Marchenko, the Classics Reader