It is easy to preach moderation when one does not have the resources or capability to engage in excesses. If I can afford to eat only bread and cheese, it doesn’t cost me anything to speak against gluttony and luxurious food.
Late in life, Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) was the foremost apostle of moderation, but his previous lifestyle did not always reflect his acquired ideas. Thus, when prompted to declare allegiance to a pure doctrine or inconsistent deeds, I tend to feel closer to the latter.
What did Seneca mean by “moderation”? First of all, he was referring to wealth. He knew the widest and broadest meaning of abundance, since he was one of the wealthiest men in Rome.
In his 4th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca affirms that wealth isn’t the highest goal in life, and placed philosophy above the joys derived from material possessions. Nonetheless, he did not call for poverty or total renunciation.
Difference between Seneca’s views and Christianity
Seneca’s advocacy of moderation is radically different from the Christian defence of poverty as a virtue. For the Christians, wealth is to be freely shared or renounced. I’m speaking of the early Christians as portrayed in the Gospels.
For Seneca, wealth is to be enjoyed wisely, so that it does not grow into an obsession driving our life. He categorises wealth as dangerous because it can easily render us blind to justice or compassion.
Pride, according to Seneca, is to be avoided at all costs due to its enslaving power. If we allow wealth to become the driver of our actions, we become slaves, he argues.
Steady wisdom is needed to ascertain the right measure in expenditures. We should keep modesty and simplicity as high goals that help us prevent low vices that turn us to fools.
In his 12th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca defines the good life as one reduced to the essentials. Simplicity is the ultimate enabler of peace of mind because it nullifies worry and fear; the former loses its power when we are contented with the essentials; and the latter loses its poignancy when we are totally self-reliant.
Seneca defines wisdom as the ability to do without, that is, a relentless pursuit of simplicity. It entails a strong preference for function, utility and cost-effectiveness, and a hefty dislike of pedantry and self-aggrandisement.
Moderation, argued Seneca in the 12th Letter to Lucilius, is best encouraged through self-sufficiency. Those who live in the countryside, relatively isolated, tend to love food that is locally grown, and cooked without adornment.
Seneca had lived in Rome for decades before retiring to the countryside, and knew the manifold temptations of city life. It’s hard to deny oneself what is easily and abundantly proffered. A devotion to moderation may only last a little amongst heathens who worship luxury and self-indulgence.
The emphasis placed by Seneca on self-sufficiency renders his doctrines incompatible with ancient Christianity, which had favoured communal life and interdependence. Seneca is calling for self-reliance, which is meant to supply philosophers the ability to steer away from demeaning propositions.
Seneca on the advantages of moderation
In his 18th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca explains the significant drawbacks of overindulgence. If we devote ourselves to the pursuit of excessive desires, he argues, we’ll surely grow disappointed.
Seneca warns us against excessive pleasures because the joy will be short and shallow, but at the same time, subjugating. Its destructive effects might remain veiled for a while, but sooner rather than later, they will come forth and claim their due with accrued interest.
Moderation shall constitute our first line of defence against detrimental habits. Rare are the individuals who can resist the appeal of strong and seemingly effortless delights. Chances are that we won’t be ourselves one of those invulnerable souls. For this reason, we will find it easier to stick to moderation than to argue against vice.
Later, in the 29th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca reveals his most modern argument in favour of moderation. He regards it as the central element of a balanced time employment.
In our century, we would rather formulate this advantage of moderation as personal efficiency or effectiveness. Indeed, we can make better use of our days if we maintain a cool, rational, focused stance.
I can only ratify Seneca’s insight, which has steadily grown in importance through the centuries. In our era, it has acquired an exponential, magnifying force. Without moderation to keep temptations at bay, there is no way to pursue ambitious goals.
Seneca couldn’t have predicted today’s epidemic of chronic illnesses derived from overindulgence, noxious habits, and the inability to steer away from stimulants.
His 31st Letter of Lucilius only hints at the health issues that await those who succumb to overeating and intemperance. The harmful consequences have become increasingly visible. Let us pay careful attention to Seneca’s recommendation because, in this area, he got it perfectly right.
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