Historians have greatly exaggerated the importance of the Stoic insights on the fear of death. Seneca wrote about death in his essays and in the Letters to Lucilius, but did little more than rehashing the views of earlier philosophers.
I can summarise Seneca’s insights in two sentences: First, death is part of the normal life cycle, but hypochondriacs and paranoiacs will refuse to accept this fact. Second, it is wiser to devote one’s efforts to living wisely rather than worrying about death.
Seneca was baffled that people would consume endless time and energy worrying about death, consulting astrologists and oracles, and mourning deceased family members and friends.
In Ancient Greece and Rome, many rituals revolved around death, but the same can be said of other cultures. A large share of the buildings preserved by history serve as burial places for aristocrats and heroes. Death seems to have been an obsession for everybody, irrespective of their beliefs or ideology.
Seneca: Consolation to Helvia
During his exile in Corsica, Seneca wrote to his mother and conveyed his thoughts on suffering and death. Scholars have named this letter “Consolation to Helvia.” Seneca had recently turned forty-five and Helvia must have been in her sixties.
In his letter, Seneca elaborates the theme of “misfortune is a normal element of life.” He is primarily referring to his exile in Corsica, but he had used the same logic in letters about death, sickness and financial setbacks.
Seneca argues that suffering can help victims “develop their mental strength,” but the logic is weak. I can imagine far easier ways to develop one’s mental strength. Do we need to undergo severe injuries to learn to avoid infections? I dare say no.
The Consolation to Helvia revolves around Seneca’s belief that we’ll attain freedom if we become “masters of ourselves,” but does not explain how self-chastisement and endurance can possibly render our lives better.
Seneca is speaking of spiritual freedom in the purest sense. His concept of freedom is closer to religion than to philosophy, and shows deep disregard for the material world. I doubt that many people today are interested in this concept of freedom.
To make things even more convoluted, the Consolation to Helvia lacks structural integrity. Seneca jumps from the “inner freedom” argument to asserting that human life is governed by destiny, by a natural order that inevitably generates suffering.
Seneca has adopted a dark conception of the natural order, one in which humans play the role of victims. We can trace this darkness in earlier Stoics such as Cleanthes (330-230 BC) and Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC).
From his dark perspective, it’s no wonder that Seneca comes to the conclusion that, in many cases, “death brings relief” after having endured the suffering inflicted by the natural order.
Did Helvia draw any consolation from Seneca’s letter? The only sensible advice contained in the letter is “to avoid anxiety and enjoy each day.” I hope that Helvia concentrated on this recommendation and ignored the rest.
Seneca: Training of the mind
The 24th Letter to Lucilius sheds a brighter light on Seneca’s insights on death. Seneca explains that life’s hardships, which also include death, are unavoidable, but philosophy teaches us how to cope better. We cannot avoid death, but we can employ philosophy to “cure the ailments of our soul.”
I find Seneca’s advice in this Letter more practical, realistic and valuable. He regards philosophy as a method for “training the mind” through wisdom. The underlying principle is that, if we align our beliefs with the world, we will accept the ups and downs of life more easily.
Nevertheless, the tone of the 24th Letter to Lucilius remains rather defeatist. Seneca’s priority is to get readers to accept things as they are, so that they do not desire improvements. He even calls those desires “passions” and describes philosophy as a tool for “curing those passions.”
The 24th Letter to Lucilius contains the best-known Seneca’s recommendations on dealing with the fear of death. We do not know the exact date of this Letter, but historians believe that it was written by Seneca at the end of his life, possibly just a few months before he committed suicide.
The text denotes that Seneca must have been thinking of his own death. His statement that “death itself is less dreadful than the fear of death” may deliver psychological reassurance, but lacks philosophical soundness.
Seneca’s goal in the 24th Letter is similar to the Consolation to Helvia, but in this case, he focused on death more than on exile and sickness. The Letter’s conclusion is similar to the one conveyed to Helvia, namely, that the wisest approach is simply to make the best of each day.
Seneca and Isidore of Seville
Can we benefit from Seneca’s insights on the fear of death? Yes, provided that we understand the principle and put it into practice assiduously. Let me illustrate this point with a couple of real-life examples.
Isidore of Seville (560-636) was the best medieval expert on Seneca. He was well acquainted with Seneca’s insights on the fear of death, the Consolation to Helvia, the Letters to Lucilius, and the works of other classical Stoic philosophers.
The concept of making the best of each day shaped the life of Isidore of Seville since his early teens, when he became fluent in Latin and began to read voraciously. In addition to all Christian patristic literature, he also studied Ancient Greek and Roman authors such as Seneca.
Isidore was already forty when he was appointed Bishop of Seville, a position that loaded him with heavy pastoral duties. I find it remarkable that, nevertheless, he carried out his project of writing a twenty-volume encyclopedia covering subjects as diverse as law, medicine, theology and history.
Seneca and Alcuin of York
Alcuin of York (735-804) embodies a similar lifestyle but in the ensuing century. Since youth, Alcuin developed a deep love for reading that went beyond the ecclesiastical texts. His wide knowledge raised him to the position of Head of the Cathedral School at York by the time he turned thirty-five.
In contrast to his peers, who did little more than convey old knowledge, Alcuin came up with plans for a better curriculum, enabling students to cover wider ground. He designed a school program combining Ancient and Christian authors, and spread it across Europe.
In his late forties, Alcuin travelled to Aachen and became an advisor to Charlemagne. He deployed vast efforts to promote literacy and can be credited single-handedly to have raised the educational level across Europe.
Alcuin retired at sixty-five to a monastery in France, but his retirement didn’t put an end to his activity. He lived for another five years, in which he continued to write and teach.
I think that the pattern is unmistakable. The paths chosen by Isidore of Seville and Alcuin of York exemplify Seneca’s ideal of “making the best of each day.” I don’t think that they wasted lots of time worrying about death, sickness or suffering. They had better things to do.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all sorts of circumstances, I recommend my book titled “The 10 principles of rational living.”
Related articles
Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic, explained
Seneca’s thoughts on self-reliance
Seneca’s principles for thriving in life
Misunderstandings about Seneca’s ideas