Since the mid-twentieth century, many philosophers are not employing the term “happiness” any more in their goal setting. They do no longer preach that happiness is the goal of human life because, I guess, they find it unattainable.
Instead of happiness, they are employing the term “the good life” as something that philosophy can reasonably deliver. The goal has become modest and inconspicuous, and even then, the promises of philosophers are subject to numerous disclaimers.
This modern philosophical trend has also reshaped the past. Even the works of Seneca have been affected by the renunciation to happiness in our culture.
Words like “joy,” “delight” or “happiness” are seldom found in modern translations of ancient works. Instead, we are told to pursue “the good life,” give up our ambitions, and just content ourselves with Stoic bromides.
Seneca would have been appalled at the blanket, pointless, unjustified renunciation of happiness; he had indeed developed a sophisticated philosophy to help people cope with adversity, but he never called for humanity to renounce happiness.
I am also convinced that Seneca wouldn’t have endorsed the elimination of the idea of “happiness” from public conscience. He had a clear idea of what “the good life” means, but viewed it as a path to happiness, not as its replacement.
Seneca’s principles for the good life
In his 24th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca defined “the good life” as a lifestyle determined by reason, not by social expectations, prejudice and fear. Seneca’s rationale is straightforward: if we guide our life by reason, we’ll make better decisions and enjoy the ensuing rewards.
Seneca developed this principle in an essay titled “On the Happy Life,” which he authored partly during his exile in Corsica. He argued extensively the following three points, which constitute the essence of his moral advice.
First, that each of us will benefit personally from practising virtue assiduously, even if virtue requires short-term sacrifices for the sake of long-term rewards.
Second, a key objective of philosophy is to help individuals develop a good character, that is, acquire the habit of practising virtue at every opportunity.
Third, the regular, daily practice of virtue will increase our chances of achieving happiness. Like Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics,” Seneca is not offering any guarantee. He is speaking of maximising one’s chances of happiness.
Character formation and the good life
Seneca’s path to the good life starts with practising specific virtues. Those should congeal into an unbreakable character, and enable individuals to do what’s right especially in times of turmoil. This process should automatically lead to maximizing one’s happiness.
For Seneca, the occasional practice of virtue doesn’t amount to much. Why? Because it’s neither sustainable nor predictable. None of us would define as virtuous a person that occasionally does the right thing, but commits crimes the rest of the time.
Seneca structured his essay “On the Happy Life” around character formation. It’s easy to do the right thing when we are enjoying good health and prosperity, but it’s extremely hard to remain virtuous when going through a major crisis.
Character formation is crucial, argued Seneca, because it is the best way to stay on the right path. In the face of opposition, threats and setbacks, our good character will help us stand our ground.
Seneca was right to point out that people of weak character can be easily swayed by circumstances. They lack commitment and resolve, and their promises are worthless. They are driven by fear, not by reason, and more often than not, they’ll end up paying a high price for their moral short-sightedness.
Constancy and the good life
Would all Roman generals have said no to the magnificent bribes offered by King Pyrrhus of Epirus during the Pyrrhic War (280-275 BC)? Fortunately, Fabricius Luscinus held the command of the Roman troops and he had a virtuous character.
Would all Roman commanders have respected the captured slaves captured during the Second Punic War? Fortunately, the Roman army was under the command of Publius Cornelius Scipio (236-183 BC), who did the right thing.
In his essay “On the Constancy of the Wise,” Seneca is praising the virtuous character acquired by Fabricius Luscinus and Publius Cornelius Scipio. Without it, they would not have been able to resist temptation.
Seneca’s recommendation should be taken seriously because it is giving us a proven recipe for prosperity and happiness. If we follow Seneca’s advice assiduously on this matter, we will reap the benefits down the road, or at least, we will steer away from catastrophic mistakes.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all areas of activity, I recommend my book “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief.”
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