Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 – 65 AD) lived in one of the most controversial periods of the Roman Empire. A philosopher, politician, lawyer, prestigious writer even during his lifetime, and a teacher of Emperor Nero, he is one of the leading representatives of Roman stoicism.
In his book “What is Philosophy?”, Ortega y Gasset explains why philosophy in our time is overshadowed by other sciences whose aim is to “master matter”. Since the second half of the 19th century, with the advent of industrialization, importance has been increasingly placed on utility at the expense of humanity. However, this great Spanish thinker emphasizes that a society in which there is no place for philosophical thought is a society that can be easily manipulated, while contact with the ideas of great thinkers enables the elevation of consciousness.
Unlike technical knowledge, whose aim is to make human life easier, philosophy confronts us with fundamental questions about human beings, such as the question of the meaning of life. If these essential questions are ignored, instead of engaging with the complexity of existence, we are left with shallow and superficial concerns. In our pursuit of a higher dimension of life, a broader perspective of reality, we confine ourselves to a very narrow horizon.
Philosophy is the aspiration for improvement, for wisdom, which is why philosophers were also called proficientes (Latin for “those who improve”). Seneca believed that philosophy helps a person to be happier, to understand and live in harmony with nature. Therefore, philosophy was not like the philosophy of those who engaged in sophistical and syllogistic wordplay, whose sole purpose was to sharpen their minds. He writes: “Let this be the essence of my teaching: we speak what we think, and we think what we speak; let our speech be in line with life… Let our words not entertain, but serve… The sick person does not seek an eloquent doctor…”
He referred to philosophers who teach from the lectern, without setting an example with their own lives, as false, “desk philosophers,” and he described his teacher Papirius Fabianus as not being a “salon philosopher, like those today, but a philosopher of the old school.”
In Seneca, we see an eclectic philosopher. A philosopher who embraces the best from different philosophical currents: stoicism, cynicism, epicurean and neoplatonic teachings. He believes that all these schools strive for happiness, although personally, he finds the greatest inspiration in stoic philosophy, in the works of its philosophers, as well as in their lives.
The Stoic school was well-received in Rome. Its ideal of moral correctness and virtue provided a strong foundation in unstable times of civil wars and other hardships.
While other philosophers teach softly and with leniency, acting as family physicians, prescribing remedies that patients allow, rather than the ones that are best and most effective, stoics, stepping onto the path of manliness and virtue, do not concern themselves with making this path appear pleasant to those who are starting to tread on it. They aim to free us from slavery as quickly as possible and lead us to that sublime pinnacle that rises so far above the reach of any weapon that it towers even over fate.
Seneca does not engage in conveying the classical views of the founders of stoicism. Just like Zenon, Chrysippus, and Cleanthes, Seneca primarily emphasizes the practical value of their thoughts. He places particular emphasis on morality. He wrote a book on moral philosophy, which is lost, but his moral teachings are clearly reflected in his preserved works, especially in Dialogues and Moral Letters to Lucilius. He elevates a timeless morality whose application brings us closer to the noblest part of ourselves and to nature, allowing us not to depend on the circumstances of life and to reach a state free from inner conflicts and disturbances. If we rise from that sediment to the sublime and lofty, tranquility of the soul awaits us, and when we drive away all vices, complete freedom. You ask me what kind of freedom is that? Not to fear humans or gods; not to desire what is shameful or excessive; to have the greatest authority over oneself. It is an invaluable good to become one’s own. Seneca not only teaches about a happier life but primarily strives for human beings to know themselves and their place in the world. His philosophy is deep and exploration of the human being and his psyche, a true therapy for the soul and comfort in life’s troubles, and it is as relevant today as it was two millennia ago. He extracts a healing function from philosophy, so the philosopher becomes a guide of the soul or psychagogos. He states that when passions and vices become so deeply rooted in the soul to become chronic, they cause illness. Thus, illness would be the ultimate consequence of erroneous thinking or judgment about things, and it can manifest not only on a physical level but also on an emotional and mental level.
And now I will remind you: illnesses are outdated and stubborn flaws, like greed, like ambition; they have wrapped around the spirit too tightly and become its permanent evil. To summarize: illness is a stubborn thought in erroneous thinking…
Ancient philosophical schools, from which Seneca derived, possessed great knowledge about the human heart, its motivations, conscious and unconscious, its deep longings, and they played a significant role in directing the human spirit. Philosophical dialogues and… Discussions were a kind of remedy for restoring the health of the soul, whether through encouragement, reproof, comfort or instruction. In Seneca’s works, especially in his Moral Letters to Lucilius, we come across numerous allusions to therapy or healing of the soul through philosophy. The philosopher does not serve as a collector of wisdom, but as someone who can quickly and rationally apply the right remedy… Honorable consolations serve as medicine, and whatever lifts the spirit is also beneficial to the body. My studies have served as a salvation to me. I attribute it to philosophy that I have risen, that I have regained strength… Different methods should be applied against anger and sadness, and thus one should be treated in a manner not only different but also opposite to the vice; this way we will always intercept the vice that has begun to grow…
His works are more intended for instruction than logical considerations. He sought to point out misconceptions, awaken awareness, console, and provide healing remedies in the form of philosophical teachings. One who errs should be corrected so that to inform, Seneca wrote in a letter that studying philosophy is good, as it leads to good health. Without philosophy, the mind is sick. Therefore, one should especially take care of this health, as well as the other. The goal of Seneca’s philosophical therapy is to entrust the steering wheel of one’s soul to their best part – reason. Healthy judgments, or correct judgments about oneself and things, lead to health. Therefore, fortunate is the person who has clear judgment; they are happy regardless of the current circumstances and are content with their surroundings. According to Stoic teachings, what is good for each thing is that which is in accordance with its nature and when it fulfills its purpose. Hello. Therefore, a happy life is one that is in accordance with its own nature and can only be achieved in one way: if the soul is healthy and in constant possession of its health. What characterizes a human being as such is reason; therefore, man’s own good is “right reason”, and good actions are those that arise from right reason. Virtue implies voluntary adherence to right intentions. This is where eudaimonia arises, which means “bliss”, “being in God”. This is true happiness, which arises from a person’s harmony with the universal order. Heraclitus says: Eudaimonia comes when everything is done in accordance with the daimon (the divine in man) that everyone carries within them, by the will of the Ruler of all.
Among the virtues, Seneca emphasizes justice, then temperance, frugality, moderation, tranquility, inner peace, honesty, nobility of character, and kindness. Through these virtues that lead us to our own essence, it is possible to approach the essence of all things. Virtue comes from the Latin word virtus, which means action. The drive or driving force to create or cause effects. Virtue is strength, vitality, courage. Seneca says that virtue is the perfect balance and true tone of life… and continues: Believe me, even on the sick bed there is room for virtue. It not only provides weapons and battle order as evidence of a spirited and fearless spirit; a brave person can also be seen wrapped in blankets. You have something to do: fight bravely with illness.
Human beings have a body and a soul. They must take care of their bodies and protect them, but not live only to serve them. Therefore, a great and wise person separates the spirit from the body and deals more with the better and divine part, and with this sad and weak part only as much as necessary. If a person’s particularity is their mind, correct human action is one that has its source in the rational part of the soul. The mind enriches a person, gives meaning to their life, makes them resemble God, while passions distance them from their true nature. Just as the Logos governs nature, so the mind must govern. To live with someone’s life is to live in harmony with nature. Living in harmony with nature brings about ataraxia, a silence that eradicates disharmony and unrest from a person’s inner being. In this sense, philosophy is therapeutic because, as Seneca says, it shapes and builds the spirit, organizes life, and directs actions. It shows us what needs to be done and what needs to be missed, sits at the helm, and steers the course of navigation…
Instructions for health according to Seneca’s philosophy:
1. A chair with a backrest from which lectures were held.