Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose

Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose PDF Author: Carey Seal
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190905859
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
The Roman philosopher Seneca addressed himself to the question of how we ought to live in letters and treatises that have engaged the attention of readers from his own day to the present. A committed, if critical and eccentric, adherent of Stoicism, he gives us a set of reflections on the good life that are rich both in philosophical subtlety and in vivid engagement with day-to-day life in ancient Rome. Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose proposes a new understanding of the relationship between these two facets of Seneca's achievement, examining how he balances the Socratic imperative to subject one's life to rational scrutiny, on the one hand, with the claims of Roman moral tradition on the other. Carey Seal argues that we should think of Seneca neither as a spokesman for Stoicism who seizes opportunistically upon the data of Roman social life to make his case, nor as an expositor of the inherited values of the Roman elite in the language of Stoic philosophy. Rather, Seneca should be understood as someone intensely interested in the question of philosophy's social entanglements and presuppositions. Seneca's use of Roman politics and of the institution of slavery in elaborating his ideal of a life guided by reason is carefully examined in the book.

Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose

Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose PDF Author: Carey Seal
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190905859
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
The Roman philosopher Seneca addressed himself to the question of how we ought to live in letters and treatises that have engaged the attention of readers from his own day to the present. A committed, if critical and eccentric, adherent of Stoicism, he gives us a set of reflections on the good life that are rich both in philosophical subtlety and in vivid engagement with day-to-day life in ancient Rome. Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose proposes a new understanding of the relationship between these two facets of Seneca's achievement, examining how he balances the Socratic imperative to subject one's life to rational scrutiny, on the one hand, with the claims of Roman moral tradition on the other. Carey Seal argues that we should think of Seneca neither as a spokesman for Stoicism who seizes opportunistically upon the data of Roman social life to make his case, nor as an expositor of the inherited values of the Roman elite in the language of Stoic philosophy. Rather, Seneca should be understood as someone intensely interested in the question of philosophy's social entanglements and presuppositions. Seneca's use of Roman politics and of the institution of slavery in elaborating his ideal of a life guided by reason is carefully examined in the book.

Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose

Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose PDF Author: Seal
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780190493233
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose

Philosophy and Community in Seneca's Prose PDF Author: Carey Seal
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190493216
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 229

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Book Description
"Today philosophy's promises to enhance the lives of those who study it are couched, like justifications for the humanistic disciplines more generally, in circumspect terms. In the ancient world, however, philosophy commonly claimed for itself the status of an exclusive guide to happiness. Through philosophy's characteristic practices of argument and rational inquiry, its advocates believed, human beings could learn what was really good for themselves and free themselves from illusion. In the process, they would necessarily come to lead happier lives. This link between learning and action meant that philosophy was often regarded as an entire way of life, in which intellectual activity and practice were closely associated and mutually interdependent. Nowhere else in ancient literature is this ideal given such full and nuanced exposition as in the prose writings of Seneca, in which we can see a philosopher and literary artist of the first rank exploring in detail the dilemmas posed by the confrontation of the idea of the philosophical life with the historical and cultural specificity of the first-century CE Rome in which he wrote. His vast prose oeuvre defends, elaborates, and aims to make appealing this ideal of a life guided by disciplined thought. He is unequivocal about the necessary centrality of philosophy to any attempt at living a good life: philosophy, he writes, "shapes and forges the mind, it puts life in order, it directs actions, it points out what is to be done and what is not to be done, it sits at the helm and steers a course through the hazards of the waves" (animum format et fabricat, vitam disponit, actiones regit, agenda et omittenda demonstrat, sedet ad gubernaculum et per ancipitia fluctuantium derigit cursum, Ep. 16.3). A successful life, for Seneca as for many other ancient philosophers, is governed by, indeed constituted by, the practice of philosophy. His rich and varied corpus, I argue, presents us with a unique opportunity to learn how one reflective and well-informed ancient philosopher reconciled this ideal of philosophical living, and all the aspirations to independence and universality that come with it, to the fact that he and his readers were living in a sociopolitical setting with its own set of norms and customs. These customs, and the claims of community more generally, stand in potential contradiction with the practical guidance philosophy aims to supply. For Seneca, as we will see, this tension was a prodigiously fruitful one. Recent work has rehabilitated Seneca's standing as a major philosopher"--

Of Consolation to Helvia

Of Consolation to Helvia PDF Author: Seneca
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 39

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Book Description
This is a letter written by Seneca, a Roman Philosopher. It is translated by Aubrey Stewart. "Consolation to Helvia" is written to Seneca's mother while he was exiled in Corsica by Emperor Claudius. After being accused of adultery by the new empress Messalina, he was exiled for eight years. His writing explicates how he can find grace in his life situation and offers suggestions to his mother on how to deal with his ongoing absence. Even though it was written as a private letter, it is full of wisdom that is still relevant today.

The Morals of Seneca

The Morals of Seneca PDF Author: Lucius Annaeus Ca 4 B C -65 Seneca
Publisher: Legare Street Press
ISBN: 9781020800290
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book is a collection of the moral teachings of Seneca, the ancient Roman philosopher and statesman. Through a selection of his prose, Clode presents Seneca's wisdom on topics such as anger, grief, fear, and friendship. Seneca's insights into human nature and the human condition continue to inspire readers to this day. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Seneca

Seneca PDF Author: Margaret Graver
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107164044
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 319

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Book Description
In-depth studies of Seneca's relation to Greek philosophy, his analysis of the emotions, and his project as a literary author.

Seeing Seneca Whole

Seeing Seneca Whole PDF Author: Katharina Volk
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9047409361
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
This volume contains ten essays on Seneca the Younger. Approaching the Roman writer from various angles, the authors endeavor both to illuminate individual aspects of Seneca’s enormous output and to discern common themes among the different genres practiced by him.

L. Annaeus Seneca on Benefits

L. Annaeus Seneca on Benefits PDF Author: Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "L. Annaeus Seneca on Benefits" by Lucius Annaeus Seneca. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

Seneca on Society

Seneca on Society PDF Author: Miriam T. Griffin
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199245487
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 410

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Book Description
A volume which explores in detail Seneca's De Beneficiis. Divided into three sections, it looks at the historical and philosophical context of the work, its relation to Seneca's other texts, and concludes with a detailed synopsis of each book, accompanied by notes in commentary form.

The Morals of Seneca

The Morals of Seneca PDF Author: Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Conduct of life
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description