One of the advantages is reading Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) is that it help us think in terms of principles. Philosophy is meant to supply universal insights that help us solve problems rapidly and successfully.
In his 8th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca outlines a key principle for individuals willing to lead a life of moderation. The short version of the principle reads “we become stronger if we resist luxury and embrace a modest lifestyle.”
Seneca provides plenty of justifications and examples. He is warning us against luxury in food, clothes and other household expenditures. His warning is all-encompassing and comprises also our passions and interests.
What does Seneca mean by “luxury”? His definition focuses on necessity or the quality of being essential. If we really need an item, then it is not a luxury. Necessary items, he explains, are essential. Their value resides in their function.
Seneca’s logic requires us to ignore any considerations of colour, shape, texture or beauty. Those aren’t necessary to fulfil the essential function or necessity. Thus, if they are not strictly necessary, they constitute a luxury.
Seneca compared to Henry David Thoreau
Why does Seneca condemn luxury so sternly? Because it is superficial and distracting, he explains. Luxury consumes our material resources and our mental energies. Those distractions will prevent us from living effectively.
Seneca’s argument gains credibility when it is linked to self-sufficiency. Luxury consumes resources that we could have put to better use. In a modern context, those resources could have strengthened our savings and increased our margin of safety.
We can find a similar attitude towards luxury in “Walden,” the autobiographical essay by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), but from a different point of view.
Seneca had rejected luxury because he wanted to strengthen his philosophical purity. In contrast, Thoreau emphasised self-sufficiency as a hands-on experience that precedes philosophy and wisdom.
The difference between Seneca and Thoreau becomes more apparent if we compare them with the conundrum: Which one was first, the chicken or the egg?
For Thoreau, the chicken and the egg stand at the beginning of the concept of self-sufficiency. He wouldn’t care which one came first because he will eat them both.
In contrast, Seneca would have devoted hours to establish how many eggs we should eat per week before they become a luxury, and how many chicken we should own before they are too numerous to be considered “moderate” and “essential.”
Seneca compared to Herbert Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979) in his major work “The One-Dimensional Man” formulated an attack on the excessive consumption of goods, giving reasons that are reminiscent of Seneca’s.
For Marcuse, the pursuit of non-essential goods is harmful because it is distracting our energies from higher purposes. His arguments are more psychological than those put forward by Seneca, but both revolve around distraction, which prevents us from using our material and intellectual resources wisely.
Effectiveness is the best rationale given by Seneca, Thoreau and Marcuse. Luxury and the excessive consumption of goods are detrimental because they detract our energies from crucial purposes.
The prioritisation of serenity is Seneca’s second principle in adopting a lifestyle of moderation. He addresses this subject in great detail in his 74th Letter to Lucilius. For human happiness, he argues, peace of mind is the enabling condition.
Seneca warns against immoderate, undisciplined behaviour. It is practically impossible to attain peace of mind if we fail to practise the virtue of moderation. Excessive pleasure-seeking, he explains, is bound to undermine our spiritual resilience and our happiness.
Seneca on building the habit of moderation
Moderation creates a first line of defence against unbalance, recklessness and foolishness. It prompts us to put daily events in perspective, and assess their true importance. Misfortune is less likely to destroy people who have imprinted this habit in their character.
Seneca wants to make his readers’ sanity unassailable. Even in the worst circumstances, they will avoid automatic reactions and panic. They will be capable of facing adversity calmly and orderly because their moderation has already repelled the most dangerous threats.
Serenity is a habit, not a random emotion, explains Seneca. That’s why we need to adopt the habit of moderation. It won’t happen automatically though. The capacity to keep a cool head in hot situations can only be acquired through a long practice.
How do we train ourselves in moderation and serenity? The 74th Letter to Lucilius is answering this question. Whenever we encounter detrimental events, we should stop and think before reacting. We should assess the situation objectively, putting all aspects in perspective. That’s how we cultivate our resilience, equanimity and happiness.
I must hasten to add that Seneca’s recommendations should be applied also to pleasant situations. The same goes for advice provided by Thoreau and Marcuse. The whole point of wisdom is to keep disaster at bay, especially when it takes an attractive, almost irresistible shape at first sight.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all kind of current situations, I recommend you my book “The philosophy of builders.”