Philosophy

Letters from a Stoic

Letters from a Stoic

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  • Create Date：2021-03-27 13:16:55
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Seneca
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Summary

The power and wealth which Seneca the Younger （c。4 B。C。 - A。D。 65） acquired as Nero's minister were in conflict with his Stoic beliefs。 Nevertheless he was the outstanding figure of his age。 The Stoic philosophy which Seneca professed in his writings， later supported by Marcus Aurelius， provided Rome with a passable bridge to Christianity。 Seneca's major contribution to Stoicism was to spiritualize and humanize a system which could appear cold and unrealistic。

Selected from the Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium， these letters illustrate the upright ideals admired by the Stoics and extol the good way of life as seen from their standpoint。 They also reveal how far in advance of his time were many of Seneca's ideas - his disgust at the shows in the arena or his criticism of the harsh treatment of slaves。 Philosophical in tone and written in the 'pointed' style of the Latin Silver Age these 'essays in disguise' were clearly aimed by Seneca at posterity。

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Reviews

Mihai Pop ，

Far longer read than the page count assumes。 Despite written in a time of confusion between knowledge and superstition， the book assumes quite a number of modern questions， and gives palatable answers， although one hears too much of soul， gods， right， as if these are common knowledge rather than shades of superstition。 Much better read than some of the same period's life advices， so highly recommended。 Far longer read than the page count assumes。 Despite written in a time of confusion between knowledge and superstition， the book assumes quite a number of modern questions， and gives palatable answers， although one hears too much of soul， gods， right， as if these are common knowledge rather than shades of superstition。 Much better read than some of the same period's life advices， so highly recommended。 。。。more

Javier Rivero ，

Brutal life advice from Seneca， strict to his Stoic principles。

Stefan Andrei ，

Another one to add to the read-once-every-year book club。

Lindsay ，

DNF。 I don't think that audiobook is the way to go for this。 I think that these letters might need to be digested a bit more with reading physically。 DNF。 I don't think that audiobook is the way to go for this。 I think that these letters might need to be digested a bit more with reading physically。 。。。more

Neeraj ，

Full of wisdom。"No man's good by accident。 Virtue has to be learnt。 Pleasure is a poor and petty thing。 " Full of wisdom。"No man's good by accident。 Virtue has to be learnt。 Pleasure is a poor and petty thing。 " 。。。more

Siddharth ，

I knew vaguely about Seneca as being a philosopher of some kind， but I had not considered reading any of his work before seeing this note。 Now， I have read the book and it is at the top of the list of books that I strongly recommend to everyone。 In this post， I have put together some of the most insightful things that I think Seneca talks about in this book。 This book is a perennial guide to living the life of a "wise person": happy， contented， and prepared for whatever fortune might throw I knew vaguely about Seneca as being a philosopher of some kind， but I had not considered reading any of his work before seeing this note。 Now， I have read the book and it is at the top of the list of books that I strongly recommend to everyone。 In this post， I have put together some of the most insightful things that I think Seneca talks about in this book。 This book is a perennial guide to living the life of a "wise person": happy， contented， and prepared for whatever fortune might throw their way。 This book was written in the first century， some 2000 years ago。 Going into the book， I expected to find some references to things that were simply outdated and ancient。 But this was not the case at all: The maladies that Seneca says affect society have remained unchanged through a variety of events that we believe have changed the world， but which have only changed the presentation of those maladies， without getting rid of them or even altering the underlying anxieties that people tend to feel in society （envy， fear， contempt， etc）。 This is a book of letters that Seneca rights to his friend and student Lucilius。 In these letters， Seneca gives Lucilius direct advice about how to behave and how to lead a life that is contented and free of the anxieties that Lucilius or the people around him have probably been facing。 There is a tinge of mystery as we get to see only one side of the communication between these two men， leading to the reader having to fill in the blank about what it was that Lucilius asked Seneca for counsel on。 This mystery did not hamper my ability to learn from this book， and identify the "rules" that I can apply to my own life。 Seneca's writing （and Campbell's translation） is fresh and lucid。 It is not the stuffy， intellectual writing of a philosopher who is trying to find arguments and connect dots that don't deserve or need to be connected to gain something new。 This is addressed in one of the letters where Seneca says how philosophy has been reduced to philology， the study of words and how modern philosophers （modern when the letters were written， i。e。 1-100 AD） were splitting hairs about what a word means or how a syllogism is inaccurate etc。 This meta-theme， "what should philosophy do for the reader"， can be found in several letters throughout the book and it was one of the important thingsthat I learned from this book。 Bonus: He has a really good sense of humor。 'Mouse is a syllable， and a mouse nibbles cheese; therefore， a syllable nibbles cheese。' Suppose for the momentI can't detect the fallacy in that。 What danger am I placed in by such lack of insight？ What serious consequencesare there in it for me？ What I have to fear， no doubt， is the possibility， one of these days， of my catching asyllable in a mousetrap or even having my cheese eaten up by a book if I'm not careful。 Unless perhaps thefollowing train of logic is a more acute one: 'Mouse is a syllable， and a syllable does not nibble cheese;therefore， a mouse does not nibble cheese。' What childish fatuities these are！ Is this what we philosophersacquire wrinkles in our brows for？ Is this what we let our beards grow long for？ Is this what we teach with facesgrave and pale？ This is the kind of joke I would not be surprised to find in a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up comedy act。 There are 3 themes that recur through the book and are approached from various angles and when dealing with problems faced by various people。 0。1 Steel yourselves against misfortune For what is there that fortune does not when she pleases fell at the height of its powers？ What is there that is not the more assailed and buffeted by her the more lustrous its attraction？ What is there that is troublesome or difficult for her？ This is why we need to envisage every possibility and to strengthen the spirit to deal with the things that may conceivably come about。 Rehearse them in your mind: exile， torture， war， shipwreck。 Misfortune may snatch you away from your country， or your country away from you， may banish you into some wilderness - these very surroundings in which the masses suffocate may become a wilderness。 All the terms of our human lot should be before our eyes; we should be anticipating not merely all that commonly happens but all the that is conceivably capable of happening， if we do not want to be overwhelmed and struck numb by rare events as if they were unprecedented ones; fortune needs envisaging in a thoroughly comprehensive way。 – Letter XCI This might sound pessimistic to some readers。 It felt like the pragmatic course of action to me。 0。2 Study philosophy to build a better character， not a better intellect This is a meta thread of reasoning that runs through the book。 （As this is a book with philosophical arguments， the philosophical argument for what the purpose of philosophical arguments are can be considered to be "meta"）。 Seneca is convinced that the purpose of philosophy is to reform people's characters and make them better people and that it is not to improve the reader's intellect or make them look well-read or intelligent to their friends through syllogisms， clever turns of phrase or "the other toys of sterile intellectual cleverness" （Letter CVIII）。 The purpose of the philosopher's audience is to "rid oneself of his faults and acquire a rule of life by which to test his character" （paraphrase from Letter CVIII）。 0。3 Don't expect a change in surroundings to fix you What good does it do you to go overseas， to move from city to city？ If you really want to escape the things that harass you， what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person。 – Letter CIV There is a lot to be said about the merits of travel and going to a new place。 It makes you worldly; it puts you in a surrounding that you haven't been before， reducing you to a child， lost and alone; it lets you see new mountains， landscapes and rivers。 But don't expect the change in surroundings to change you， even if you don't put in any effort yourself。 I don't know if a lot of people travel to get rid of anxiety in the present day。 I have thought about doing this before， so this piece of advice resonated with me。 1 Not completely convinced I am not completely convince about one point that he brings up in one of his letters。 He says that the recounting of past sufferings and one's victory over them is a pointless exercise and serves only to be detrimental to one's conception of the past， that suffering and one's spirit。 What's the good of dragging up sufferings which are over， of being unhappy now just because you were then？ What is more， doesn't everyone add a good deal to his tale of hardships and deceive himself as well in the matter？ Besides， there is a pleasure in having succeeded in enduring， something the actual enduring of which was very far from pleasant; when some trouble or other comes to an end the natural thing is to be glad。 There are two things， then， the recollecting of trouble in the past as well as the fear of troubles to come， that I have to root out: the first is no longer of any concern to me and the second has yet to be so。 – Letter LXXVIII This is an abridged version of my full review。 。。。more

Robert ，

I have been reading Seneca’s letters off and on for the past two years。 Recently I resolved to read all the letters and try to apply Seneca’s wise lessons to my life， and I read one or two most mornings and think about them throughout the day。 For those searching for some sort of secular devotional or daily read that doesn’t focus on the news or anything trivial， I highly recommend reading a letter every morning。 The longest is about 15 pages; most are about 2-3 pages long。 As with any philosoph I have been reading Seneca’s letters off and on for the past two years。 Recently I resolved to read all the letters and try to apply Seneca’s wise lessons to my life， and I read one or two most mornings and think about them throughout the day。 For those searching for some sort of secular devotional or daily read that doesn’t focus on the news or anything trivial， I highly recommend reading a letter every morning。 The longest is about 15 pages; most are about 2-3 pages long。 As with any philosophy， especially for those new to Stoicism and without full understanding of its cultural contexts， some of the ideas here might seem hokey or reductive， but I think the key is always constant evaluation and continuous improvement。 For instance， Seneca once challenges Lucilius， saying that he tends to call everyone a “friend” without necessarily being close to or trustful of them。 Seneca says that if we choose to call someone our friend， we should entrust all our closest secrets to them！ He thinks it is better to be trustful than wary without friends。 This may seem naive， but in an internet that values oversharing to one’s “friends” or “followers”， it’s an idea worth thinking about and seeing whether we might not reevaluate our relationships， whether online and in-person。 Note: this Dover edition’s translation is the same as one on the Wikimedia website （found by accessing the Wikipedia page for this book）， by Richard Mott Gummere （ca。 1915）。 It’s a bit stodgy with its idioms， but it does read remarkably lucidly on the whole。 。。。more

Szymon Bialkowski ，

Through the first half of the book I was lukewarm about the book， it was definitely good but nothing extraordinary。It does pick up， mostly what’s impressive about it is the descriptions of Seneca’s life and death， a man who failed to practice what he teaches but never lets go of his ideas。He has greatly reconciled stoicism to me; as mentioned in the introduction it is no longer a philosophy of apathy and repression of human nature but one which continues to be focused on the goal in light of dev Through the first half of the book I was lukewarm about the book， it was definitely good but nothing extraordinary。It does pick up， mostly what’s impressive about it is the descriptions of Seneca’s life and death， a man who failed to practice what he teaches but never lets go of his ideas。He has greatly reconciled stoicism to me; as mentioned in the introduction it is no longer a philosophy of apathy and repression of human nature but one which continues to be focused on the goal in light of deviations。 。。。more

Nate Hansen ，

Really， really good。

Jakub Capák ，

So far， my favourite philosophical work。 This format is ideal for philosophy – the letters usually aren't too long， so you don't have to wait long for a change of topic if you get tired of the one being discussed， and if you find yourself losing focus， the end of the letter， which affords a natural stopping point， probably isn't far。 Also， I find that philosophy is best read in small batches over a longer period of time – again， the letters are perfect for this。 Furthermore， philosophy about how So far， my favourite philosophical work。 This format is ideal for philosophy – the letters usually aren't too long， so you don't have to wait long for a change of topic if you get tired of the one being discussed， and if you find yourself losing focus， the end of the letter， which affords a natural stopping point， probably isn't far。 Also， I find that philosophy is best read in small batches over a longer period of time – again， the letters are perfect for this。 Furthermore， philosophy about how we should live （like Stoicism） is generally easier to understand compared to contemplating abstract philosophical ideas。There is lots of good advice in here， and plenty of good quotes if you are into that （though Seneca， if memory serves， criticizes people who quote others constantly in one of the letters）。 As I was finishing the book today， it evoked a weird feeling of fulfilment in me， like I was fulfilling some higher need I didn't know I had。 I have no idea how to describe the feeling， though my best attempt would say that I felt intellectually stimulated and noble at the same time。 Sounds pretentious， I know。 There are some things to criticize， however。 Even though my edition is a selection of only about 40 of the 124 letters， some topics were repeated multiple times。 On the other hand， this also has a good side: hearing something stated multiple times in different ways helps you memorize it and put it into practise。 Another minor nit-pick would be that Seneca likes to quote poets a lot （especially Virgil）。 I am not a huge fan of this: he uses these quotes to reinforce his points， which may sometimes sound like "If Virgil wrote about it， then it must be true！" Overall， it's still worth reading。 The letters in my edition take up only 200 pages， so it's not even that long。 。。。more

James Williams ，

Another excellent read on stoicism！ This book pushes one to pursue wisdom and virtues at all cost， and to recognize external things as illusions that pull us away from the truth。 I highly recommend this read！Dr。 James Arthur Williamswww。unmaskytp。com Another excellent read on stoicism！ This book pushes one to pursue wisdom and virtues at all cost， and to recognize external things as illusions that pull us away from the truth。 I highly recommend this read！Dr。 James Arthur Williamswww。unmaskytp。com 。。。more

Gregory Ashe ，

If Epictetus was the appetizer for a real lesson in Stoic philosophy， Seneca provides the main course。 Amazing how his philosophy was set out in letters to his young friend。 Oh， to have such a friend as Seneca to write me such letters。 Although Epictetus is a generation after Seneca， I think it was good that I read the former first。 I can see how influenced he was by Seneca and the earlier Stoics。

Abdullah Almuslem ，

انتبهت لهذا الفيلسوف الروماني لأول مرة عندما كنت أقرأ مقالات الفرنسي ميشيل مونتين حيث أني وجدته يقتبس من سينكا العشرات من المقولات التي أعجبتني。 فكان يقول سينكا قال。。。 وسينكا حدّث 。。。 وسينكا كان。。。 حتى بدأت أسمع في رأسي （سينكا ، سينكا ، سينكا）。 وعندما وجدت هذا الكتاب كان أسم سينكا لا يزال يجول في خاطري فاشتريته دون تفكير。وقد جاء في مقدمة الكتاب من المترجم بأن سينكا قد تحدث بالحكمة لكنه لم يكن يطبقها على نفسه。 وعندما بدأت في قراءة كلمات سينكا بدى لي من المستحيل أن يتحدث رجل بهذه الطريقة دون أن ي انتبهت لهذا الفيلسوف الروماني لأول مرة عندما كنت أقرأ مقالات الفرنسي ميشيل مونتين حيث أني وجدته يقتبس من سينكا العشرات من المقولات التي أعجبتني。 فكان يقول سينكا قال。。。 وسينكا حدّث 。。。 وسينكا كان。。。 حتى بدأت أسمع في رأسي （سينكا ، سينكا ، سينكا）。 وعندما وجدت هذا الكتاب كان أسم سينكا لا يزال يجول في خاطري فاشتريته دون تفكير。وقد جاء في مقدمة الكتاب من المترجم بأن سينكا قد تحدث بالحكمة لكنه لم يكن يطبقها على نفسه。 وعندما بدأت في قراءة كلمات سينكا بدى لي من المستحيل أن يتحدث رجل بهذه الطريقة دون أن يكون مؤمن بما يقول！ لكنني ليس بصدد الحكم على سينكا بمعيشته بل بما كتب قلمه في هذه الرسائل وأترك الباقي للمؤرخين والمختصين。 تحدث سينكا كثيرا في هذه الرسائل عن نبذ اللذات والشهوات والميل إلى التقشف والبعد عن اللهو في هذه الحياة。 وحث الإنسان على التعلم لأن العلم والفلسفة هما سبيل السعادة لا السعي وراء الملذات。 وقد كتب في إحدى الرسائل وصف رائع لحضوره للأرينا （حلبة المصارعة الرومانية） وتحدث كيف أن العبيد المشاركين يقتلون بعضهم البعض بوحشية。 بينما يقف الجمهور بحماس متعطشا للدماء صارخا بهستيرية كلما سقطت ضحية مضرجة بالدماء。 وقد قال أن الناجين من هذه المصارعة الوحشية يرمون للأسود والوحوش ليحاربوهم ومصيرهم في كل الحالات هو الموت。 وقد شجب سينكا هذه الممارسات الوحشية وكرهها لا سيما أنها موجودة في امبراطورية تدعي الحضارة。 وقد كانت نظرة سينكا للعبيد نظرة مختلفة عن زمانه، فهو حث على رحمتهم وحث على الجلوس معهم والأكل معهم واحترامهم لأن العبد به روح حرة حسب تعبيره。 وقد تكلم سينكا في أمور كثيرة حتى أنه حث على الاستيقاظ باكرا وذكر أن نور الشمس عدو التفكير السيء، وانتقد السهر في الليل دون فائدة。أورد بعض الاقتباسات من الكتاب:اقرأ على الدوام الكُتاب المجربين، وإذا شعرت في أي لحظة بأنك تحتاج أن تغير كاتبا ما، فارجع إلى الكُتّاب الذين قرأتهم من قبلجزء من متعتي في التعلم هو أن يُمكّنني من التعليمما وُلد المرء عليه وما طُبع عليه يمكن تخفيفه، ولكن ليس تجاوزهالعبيد الذين لا يستطيعون أن يتحدثوا أمام وجه سيدهم يتحدثون من خلف ظهرهليس ارتباطك بعالم السياسة ولا الأعمال ولا حتى عالم الطبيعة هو الذي يجعلك تؤخر الموت ـ بل اللذات التي لم تترك منها شيئا تجربه، هي التي تجعلك غير راغب بالرحيلعارعلى الذي يستلقي في السرير نائما بينما الشمس عالية في السماءوقد اُعدم سينكا بعد أن دُبرت له تهمة التآمر على الإمبراطور والذي كان سينكا معلمه في صغره。 وقد اُمر بقتل نفسه وقد فعل ذلك، وقبل ذلك قال: هل كان أحد يجهل أن نيرون متوحش؟ بعد قتله أمه وأخيه لابد وأن يقتل معلمه وأستاذه。。。 بعدها شق سينكا عروق ذراعه ومات موتا بطيئا。。كتاب جيد وأنصح به。。。 。。。more

Karen ，

I have read this book over several years， picking it up and putting it down as needed。 There is so much value to be taken from the words of Seneca。 There are some sentiments that do appear archaic when applied to modern society， but overall it is an incredibly eye-opening read。 One of my top philosophy books for sure！

Dumitru Moraru ，

Seneca， unul din cei mai mari filozofi romani， oferă prietenului său， Luciulius， povețe de viață pe diferite subiecte precum prietenia， dragostea， moartea， virtutea， legătura omului cu natura， sărăcia， fericirea， liniștea sufletească sau datoriile omului în societate。 Aceste învățături sunt sub formă de scrisori， în limbaj simplu， pentru a înțelege chiar și cei neinițiați în filozofie。 Pe mine m-au ajutat foarte mult învățăturile lui Seneca， simplificându-mi viața！"Nu e vorba că avem prea puţin Seneca， unul din cei mai mari filozofi romani， oferă prietenului său， Luciulius， povețe de viață pe diferite subiecte precum prietenia， dragostea， moartea， virtutea， legătura omului cu natura， sărăcia， fericirea， liniștea sufletească sau datoriile omului în societate。 Aceste învățături sunt sub formă de scrisori， în limbaj simplu， pentru a înțelege chiar și cei neinițiați în filozofie。 Pe mine m-au ajutat foarte mult învățăturile lui Seneca， simplificându-mi viața！"Nu e vorba că avem prea puţin timp。 Problema e că mult timp am pierdut"„Unii trăiesc fără nici un ideal， fără nici o țintă。 Trec prin lume ca niște fire de paie pe un râu。 Nu merg ei， ci curentul îi duce。” "Cel mai puternic om este cel care se stăpânește pe sine însuși。""Strângerea de averi nu înseamnă încetarea mizeriilor， ci doar schimbarea acestora cu altele。""Uitarea este cel mai bun remediu pentru injurii。""Îți petreci cea mai mare parte a vieții făcând ce nu trebuie， iar o bună parte a ei， nefăcând nimic， toată viața te-ai preocupat de cu totul altceva decât ceea ce ar fi trebuit。" 。。。more

Sally Boyer ，

I read Seneca's Letters as a student of the Intergalactic Stoic School。 Provided with questions to guide me through， I was encouraged to do a somewhat deep reading of the text。Overall， I liked his message: study works written by the wise， avoid socializing with bad influences， be humble， accept death， turn away from extravagance， and pursue virtue。 However， the style for me was a touch pompous and some of his ideas struck me as arrogant。 For example， in Letter LXXVIII Seneca says: "And complaini I read Seneca's Letters as a student of the Intergalactic Stoic School。 Provided with questions to guide me through， I was encouraged to do a somewhat deep reading of the text。Overall， I liked his message: study works written by the wise， avoid socializing with bad influences， be humble， accept death， turn away from extravagance， and pursue virtue。 However， the style for me was a touch pompous and some of his ideas struck me as arrogant。 For example， in Letter LXXVIII Seneca says: "And complaining away about one's sufferings after they are over。。。 What's the good of dragging up sufferings which are over， of being unhappy now just because you were then？" Again， I understand the sentiment， however， being a trauma-informed person in my professional life and having dealt with PTSD in others and myself， I know that Seneca's perspective， again， is one of privilege。 If you've never experienced a trauma so grave that it results in PTSD， you're in luck and this recommendation probably applies more freely to you， but if you're suffering from PTSD， you actually have to do the work （different forms of talk， medicine， meditation， or even physical therapy such as yoga or massage） to work through the trauma which has been stored in your body。 As modern readers， we know that its not fault of Seneca that he wasn't privy to this information， but his attitude about past traumas did put a sour taste in my mouth。 I was also humored by his assertion that pretending to be poor for three days will show you that's it's actually not that bad to be poor at all。 Again， this is coming from a place of privilege。 Seneca was not poor。 "Playing poor" for three days is a world away from being born into poverty。 Not comparable。 Despite my complaints， I did collect some of my favorite quotes， which I will share with you here:"One's life should be a compromise between the ideal and the popular morality。 People should admire our way of life but they should at the same time find it understandable。" （Letter V）"Whatever circumstance brings some welcome thing your way， stop in suspicion and alarm。。。 They are snares。 Anyone among you who wishes to lead a secure life will do his very best to steer well wide of these baited bounties。。。 we think these things are ours when in fact is it we who are caught。。。 prosperity begins to carry us off course。" （Letter VIII）"So keep the body within bounds as much as a you can and make room for the spirit。。。 There are short and simple exercises which will tire the body without undue delay。。。 But whatever you do， return from body to mind very soon。" （Letter XV）（on death）: "。。。 nature's own gentle process of dissolution。" （Letter XXVI）"A change of character， not a change of air， is what you need。。。 whatever your destination you will be followed by your failings。。。 And if 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。 You have to lay aside the load of your spirit。 Until you do that， nowhere will satisfy you。。。 Where you arrive does not matter so much as what sort of person you are when you arrive there。" （Letter XXVIII）"To want to know more than is sufficient is a form of intemperance。。。 not learning what they need simply because they spend their time learning things they will never need。" （Letter LXXXVIII） "They [the gods] have given no one the present of a knowledge of philosophy， but everyone the means of acquiring it。" （Letter XC）"No moment is exempt: in the midst of pleasures there are found the springs of suffering。" and "。。。we live among things that are destined to perish。。。 which it may be has only been consumed so as to be called to higher things。。。 So the spirit must be trained to a realization and an acceptance of its lot。。。 There's no ground for resentment in all this。 We've entered into a world in which these are the terms life if lived on。。。" （Letter XCI）"If you really want to escape the things that harass you， what you're needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person。" （Letter CIV）"Besides， to be feared is to fear: no one has been able to strike terror into others and at the same time enjoy peace of mind himself。" （Letter CV）"It is in no man's power to have whatever he wants; but he has it in his power not to wish for what he hasn't got， and cheerfully make the most of the things that do come his way。" （Letter CXXIII）"No man's good by accident。 Virtue has to be learnt。" （Letter CXXIII） 。。。more

Eigen_Land ，

Inattuale。

Elijah Stauth ，

Quite enjoyed the style， as well as the stoic perspective he espouses。

Emily ，

totally tubulAR

Chad ，

These letters have a ton of wisdom in them， but it is not distilled wisdom。 Certain letters can be a bit of a slog to read， but overall the collection is well worth the journey。These timeless letters espouse virtues of wisdom， courage， self-control， and justice—all enabling self-sufficiency。Seneca takes the stance that we cannot determine our fate nor our fortune。 It is our responsibility to cultivate our character to respond as well as possible to what fate has dealt us。 By cultivating our char These letters have a ton of wisdom in them， but it is not distilled wisdom。 Certain letters can be a bit of a slog to read， but overall the collection is well worth the journey。These timeless letters espouse virtues of wisdom， courage， self-control， and justice—all enabling self-sufficiency。Seneca takes the stance that we cannot determine our fate nor our fortune。 It is our responsibility to cultivate our character to respond as well as possible to what fate has dealt us。 By cultivating our character and living a virtuous life， we will find happiness。 We should respect in others who they are， as determined by their character， not what they have。 Also， we should not fear death， as while we do fear death we can't truly live （and our lives are not that consequential， anyway）。Seneca shows an openness to other thinkers and makes a point to avoid dogmatic thinking。 Arguments are generally laid out， constructed， and deconstructed in rational ways。 He also frequently quotes speakers of other schools of thought， primarily Epicurus。Lastly， Seneca was surprisingly progressive。 He raises issues with the treatment of criminals， slaves， and the general barbarity and cruelty of justice and entertainment。 One blind spot of his （by modern standards） is on gender roles， as he regularly uses "womanish" as an insult and doesn't seem to recognize their equal ability to live by the virtues he's espoused。I won't attempt to further distill the wisdom， as I'm sure that's been done better elsewhere， but instead point out a few areas I appreciated:- Seneca notes the importance of treating yourself as you would treat a friend （self-love/compassion）。- Seneca notes the barbarism of watching punishment be inflicted on others for entertainment， and how watching that cruelty is in itself an offense to those watching （public executions， the arena）- Seneca notes often how we should not value or respect things that can be granted or taken away by fortune。 One example "'Avoid，' I cry， 'whatever is approved of by the mob， and the things that are the gift of chance。" Another "Praise in him what can neither be given nor snatched away"- Joy should be in the doing （experiencing）， not in the having- It can be easier to conquer an entire people than to conquer a single man （a country can be conquered by military; you can only be conquered if you allow yourself to be so—you always have your freedom of choice， even the choice to die）- Avoid vanity & drink （and other vices）- "Cultivate an asset which the passing of time itself improves。"- Remind yourself how little your things and status matter -> "Set aside now and then a number of days during which you will be content with the plainest of food， and very little of it， and with rough， coarse clothing， and will ask yourself， 'Is this what one used to dread？'"- Rehearse death to rehearse freedom。 Do not fear death。- How slaves should not be degraded， as they are people。 Potentially people on whom those doing the degradation depend。- "Straightforwardness and simplicity are in keeping with goodness。"- Grieve for an appropriate amount of time， and no longer。- Character is of prime importance。- "To govern was to serve， not to rule。"- Have equanimity in all things- "We're born unequal， we die equal。"- It's easy to do something never than infrequently （and easier to do something always than most of the time）。 -> Remove choice from the process。 。。。more

Jurgita ，

Greatly didactic collection of letters from teacher to follower， which discusses human values， faults and common fate。 Even though it is written two thousand years ago， a lot of ideas and lessons are still true， which shows that humanity did not move much in its quests， desires and fears。 I especially like Seneca's take on death， a simple approach that one born would never escape death， hence it should be taken with humility， pride and peace。 Greatly didactic collection of letters from teacher to follower， which discusses human values， faults and common fate。 Even though it is written two thousand years ago， a lot of ideas and lessons are still true， which shows that humanity did not move much in its quests， desires and fears。 I especially like Seneca's take on death， a simple approach that one born would never escape death， hence it should be taken with humility， pride and peace。 。。。more

Marco ，

This is a collection of letters written by Seneca to his friend Lucilius。 The book is surprisingly light read and is a nice introductions to stoicism。 It's nice to draw parallels between some views of the past and recent ones。 This is a collection of letters written by Seneca to his friend Lucilius。 The book is surprisingly light read and is a nice introductions to stoicism。 It's nice to draw parallels between some views of the past and recent ones。 。。。more

Andy Jennsen ，

A lot of good stuff in here - in many cases in Seneca's paraphrasing of those who came before。 But he did have his own wisdom and it fits well within the school he was a part of。 Maybe it was a factor of the format: "Letters"。 As in， he is giving advice to a younger pupil。 Much of the context was explained in the forward and it is helpful to understand but what misgivings I had with this book was the inescapable feeling I had that Seneca was pretty much an asshole。Work through that and the man i A lot of good stuff in here - in many cases in Seneca's paraphrasing of those who came before。 But he did have his own wisdom and it fits well within the school he was a part of。 Maybe it was a factor of the format: "Letters"。 As in， he is giving advice to a younger pupil。 Much of the context was explained in the forward and it is helpful to understand but what misgivings I had with this book was the inescapable feeling I had that Seneca was pretty much an asshole。Work through that and the man is clearly one of the great minds of human history。 But as with all （and as was pretty much admitted in the forward）， Seneca is a mixed bag。 He preached， but didn't live。 I don't really care how he lived， but it's hard not to get the feeling reading this that he was preaching the way to live to someone who looked up to him but that much of what he was saying was mixed PR and goals for himself。 Nothing wrong with having aspirations， but maybe tone down your sanctimony a bit？I'm arguing with a guy who has been dead for 2000 years。 People will be reading him long after I'm dust。 But at more than one point in this book I did catch myself thinking "Ok Boomer"。 Doesn't mean he didn't have some quality goals and insights。 But did he have to be such a jerk about it？ 。。。more

Simay ，

Bazı sayfalarda zorlasa da beni， çağlar aşan düşünceleri gösterdi。 Kitaptaki en güzel aforizmalardan ikisi:"Doğa evlatlarını yaratır， başından atmaz; en güvenli vasi en yakında olduğu için de herkes kendine emanet edilmiştir。""Ne kadar altının olduğu önemli mi？ Senin olmayan o kadar çok altın var ki！" Bazı sayfalarda zorlasa da beni， çağlar aşan düşünceleri gösterdi。 Kitaptaki en güzel aforizmalardan ikisi:"Doğa evlatlarını yaratır， başından atmaz; en güvenli vasi en yakında olduğu için de herkes kendine emanet edilmiştir。""Ne kadar altının olduğu önemli mi？ Senin olmayan o kadar çok altın var ki！" 。。。more

Markus ，

SENECA –Born in year 1 he was constrained to commit suicide at the age of 65， by order of Emperor Nero， his pupil and “friend”。Seneca’s masterpiece in literature is the collection of his 124 letters to his friend Lucilius。The book also contains his well-known and brilliant essays: ‘The Consolation to Marcia’， a Consolation to his mother Helvia， De Ire， De Clementia， De Vita Beata， De Providentia， De Constantia Sapientis， De Tranquilitate Animi， De Otio。It is advisable to start reading the Lette SENECA –Born in year 1 he was constrained to commit suicide at the age of 65， by order of Emperor Nero， his pupil and “friend”。Seneca’s masterpiece in literature is the collection of his 124 letters to his friend Lucilius。The book also contains his well-known and brilliant essays: ‘The Consolation to Marcia’， a Consolation to his mother Helvia， De Ire， De Clementia， De Vita Beata， De Providentia， De Constantia Sapientis， De Tranquilitate Animi， De Otio。It is advisable to start reading the Letters first， the introduction by Paul Veyne in his great wisdom， of 171 pages， is in itself a complete treaty on Stoic Philosophy， and therefore seems to me to pre-empt Seneca’s letters。Seneca's letters aim to convince and teach his friend to adopt his own Stoic Philosophy and to become “wise”。Letter after a letter he explains that it is only up to yourself to intellectualize your way of thinking and live a life according to the laws of nature， with no need for God or master。 Rejecting all human vices， the strife for honours， gold， and worldly pleasures， the wise man is above everything and therefore will not suffer pain inflicted by other humans。 He knows he can exit this world anytime he chooses of his own will， by way of suicide。It needs the patience to read all of these letters， many subjects and arguments are repeated many times。 But Seneca’s style， at least in this translation， is easy and pleasant to read。I am close to adopting this Philosophy to myself， I have come to like it。1 like 。。。more

Bookslut69 ，

During his lifetime， the philosopher Seneca wrote several works that greatly influenced the Western world。 Seneca was born around 4 BC。 in Córdoba， Spain and died year 65 in Rome。 Seneca lived a life full of tragedies and adventures， from having gone from top to bottom to top and to bottom again。 Seneca held an influential position in Rome during his lifetime until he was exiled and was forced to live on his own away from Rome。 After a couple of years， Seneca was pardoned and he was allowed to r During his lifetime， the philosopher Seneca wrote several works that greatly influenced the Western world。 Seneca was born around 4 BC。 in Córdoba， Spain and died year 65 in Rome。 Seneca lived a life full of tragedies and adventures， from having gone from top to bottom to top and to bottom again。 Seneca held an influential position in Rome during his lifetime until he was exiled and was forced to live on his own away from Rome。 After a couple of years， Seneca was pardoned and he was allowed to return。 Upon his return， he was for a short time Emperor Nero's teacher and had a very influential position during Nero's first reign。 However， some years later Seneca was suspected of conspiring against the emperor and was forced to commit suicide。Fortunately， his writings have managed to be preserved and consumed。His texts contain topics that address how we should manage our time on earth， how to find virtue and how to best relate to our surroundings。Seneca is descended from the philosophical school of Stoicism whose teachings of virtue， tolerance and self-control have inspired generations of thinkers and leaders。"On the shortness of life" Seneca argues that it is not that we have a short time to live， but that we waste much of it。 Life is long enough， and its been given to us in generous measure for accomplishing the greatest things。。。This is a book that should be read again and again to further improve your understanding of its content。"The only thing that gives us freedom is indifference to fate""But the pleasure disappears the moment it is at its greatest; it takes up only a small area and therefore fills it quickly""Sometimes， even to live is an act of courage" 。。。more

Desi Cochrane ，

Mixed feelings。 As a historical philosophy artifact this was impressive， but I won't be adopting Stoicism based on the teachings of Seneca anytime soon。Contemporary stoic works are littered with Seneca， and I can see why， he drops some bangers。 But if you pick this up hoping to get beyond the lofty one-liners and stoic quote porn， you might be disappointed。 Seneca's delivery is more like a sermon than an argument。 Very elitist and judgmental。 His reasoning is often circular and contains glaring Mixed feelings。 As a historical philosophy artifact this was impressive， but I won't be adopting Stoicism based on the teachings of Seneca anytime soon。Contemporary stoic works are littered with Seneca， and I can see why， he drops some bangers。 But if you pick this up hoping to get beyond the lofty one-liners and stoic quote porn， you might be disappointed。 Seneca's delivery is more like a sermon than an argument。 Very elitist and judgmental。 His reasoning is often circular and contains glaring leaps in logic。 The irony in a few of the letters was too thick for my tastes and was an effort to get through。 Seneca is very forceful and sure of himself。 I didn't get any sense of the tensions or struggles he faced in developing his ideas。Still， this is easily worth 5 stars。 As a first person account of ancient Rome this was just a treat。 I loved the intimacy of his letters。 His intensity and self-righteousness is impressive and for the most part noble。 His writing is （mostly） lovely and easy to follow， and there are plenty of gorgeous quotes you'll be underlining and thinking on。 Definitely worthy of its place in philosophy literary canon。 。。。more

Bruno Gonçalves ，

https://elogioliterario。blogs。sapo。pt。。。 https://elogioliterario。blogs。sapo。pt。。。 。。。more

Tom Vrijmoet ，

The best non-self-help self help book。Do you know those vague thoughts that sometimes come to mind， telling you you've done something right but don't exactly know why or what？Those ideas are explained extraordinarily well by Seneca in this book。Those things you know you should be doing for your own good but you're not sure why。And not just does this book clarify the vague thoughts you already had， it even adds much， much to those ideas。 The best non-self-help self help book。Do you know those vague thoughts that sometimes come to mind， telling you you've done something right but don't exactly know why or what？Those ideas are explained extraordinarily well by Seneca in this book。Those things you know you should be doing for your own good but you're not sure why。And not just does this book clarify the vague thoughts you already had， it even adds much， much to those ideas。 。。。more

Ian ，

A first from Stoic philosophers。 Interested in reading more from these teachers down the line。 A number of lessons learned from this collection of Seneca's letters， including how life's virtue is living according to nature。 Hoping to read more。 A first from Stoic philosophers。 Interested in reading more from these teachers down the line。 A number of lessons learned from this collection of Seneca's letters， including how life's virtue is living according to nature。 Hoping to read more。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Letters from a Stoic

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Letters from a Stoic&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Letters from a Stoic&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0