I pity those who ignore the lessons from antique thinkers because they are leaving remarkable wisdom on the table. It is a sign of deep ignorance to categorise Socrates (470-399 BC), Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) as impractical, and to sustain that their works are no longer worth studying.
Curiously enough, Seneca often battled with prior Greek and Roman thinkers; he regarded their conclusions as superficial or incomplete, and claimed for himself the credit of having discovered a higher truth.
Are those debates too theoretical? No, not at all. Does it make a real difference whether we favour modern thinkers to the detriment of the ancients? Yes, it makes a large difference because it is costly to acquire wisdom.
If we foolishly discard our intellectual inheritance, we may prove unable to replace it when things turn from the worse. If we fail to absorb the wisdom from the past here and now, we’ll miss those insights when we need them badly.
Seneca made this mistake in his treatment of doubts, fears, and threats. In his 90th Letter to Lucilius, he put aside the ideas and wisdom of Posidonius (135-50 BC) all too quickly and all too recklessly, just because Posidonius was not a Stoic.
Seneca’s ideas compared to Posidonius’
Let’s not forget that Posidonius had written fifty-two history books that, in Seneca’s lifetime, constituted the most accurate record of the late Roman Republic. Those books contained lots of details about philosophy, psychology and culture.
Posidonius’ works gave a first-hand account of how Ancient Romans addressed problems, individually and societally. Their stories illustrated especially how people dealt effectively with doubts and fears.
In the 90th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca discards all inherited wisdom as fruitless, and calls for “returning to nature” in terms of clothing, nourishment, habitation and social mores. He calls Posidonius’ reflections undesirable because they make our life easier and safer.
Seneca expects readers to use their philosophical skills to overcome doubts, fears, poverty and lack of comfort, but fails to realise the high cost associated with his recommendation.
This error becomes obvious when Seneca, discussing how people protect themselves from cold, puts on an equal footing primitive fur clothing and a well-built, comfortable home. Who can affirm truthfully that the former is as good as the latter?
Antique philosophy teaches us how to overcome doubts and fears by thinking rationally. This entails employing the insights and resources available in our culture. It would be foolish to go back in history and discard the knowledge accumulated by our predecessors.
In the 39th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca somewhat remedies his mistake because he praises a moderate lifestyle as the essential Stoic strategy for dealing with doubts and fears. He speaks in favour of “aiming high when following our natural drives” and avoiding excesses.
Stoicism calls for dissolving doubts and fears through daily virtue. Seneca does not expect his readers to deploy impossible levels of willpower and determination. His method is soft and incremental, and simply encourages us to live in accordance with nature.
Seneca’s prescription for the good life
In the 39th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca regards “uncontrolled passions” as the most dangerous enemy to Stoic virtue. His call for a tempered, moderate lifestyle summarises his prescription against doubts and fears.
Does Seneca’s recipe work in real life? Only to the extent that we complement it with state-of-the-art knowledge. Unless we adopt Posidonius’ love for existing know-how, chances are that our attempt to “return to nature” will create more problems than it solves.
Reading the 61st Letter to Lucilius has not led me to the conclusion that the passage of time will automatically efface our desire for joy or comfort. I do not think that older people are ready to go, especially because, nowadays, there are vast opportunities for self-development at any age.
Stoicism is right in recommending a consciously thoughtful lifestyle as the best prescription against doubts and fears, but it is up to each of us to put forward this prescription in a present context.
Let us adopt good, productive habits by all means, but there is no reason to reject the benefits of technology or the comforts of prosperity. Posidonius had grasped this important aspect two generations before Seneca, and it remains applicable today.
Seneca provided many descriptions of what he considers the optimal lifestyle for a Stoic. Suffice it to say that steadiness is the trait that aspiring Stoics find most difficult to adopt. Seneca warned us in his essay “On the Constancy of the Wise” that our doubts and fears will return as soon as our constancy fails.
Seneca’s insights and James Cook
The British explorer James Cook (1728-1779) displayed all his life remarkable Stoic traits, but insufficient steadiness led him to make a mistake that would cost him his life. It did not matter that he possessed fifty years of experience at sea or that he had surmounted enormous difficulties.
After working on local ships in his early teens, Cook joined the British navy at seventeen and became a master mariner at age twenty. Two decades later, Cook was appointed captain of HMS Endeavour that explored South America.
In two successive trips, Cook went to Antarctica, Tahiti and Hawaii, just to mention a few of his destinations, maintaining a remarkably healthy diet and habits onboard. The number of ill or dead seamen was extremely low in his expeditions.
Despite his solid habits, Cook made a stupid mistake when visiting a Hawaiian island. He assumed that the natives would be peaceful and friendly, but ended up suffering injuries during a skirmish that he could have easily prevented. A higher level of steadiness might have prolonged his life for decades.
Seneca never claimed that Stoicism is for the faint of heart. We can minimize doubts and fears if we adopt a thoughtful, prudent lifestyle, but the obstacles are substantial. Numerous people start the process, but few culminate it, and even fewer keep it going year after year.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all areas of activity, I recommend my book titled “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief.”
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