In ancient Greece and Rome, philosophy was conceived as a practical science; the purposes of philosophical learning were clearly defined: success, joy and happiness. Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote his “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics” with the stated goal of helping his students achieve happiness.
Seneca was not an exception in this regard. A prolific writer, he devoted the great majority of his essays and letters to dispensing advice about happiness. His insights are based on human nature and, for this reason, are still applicable in our century.
How does one put Seneca’s advice into practice? Which step should we take first, and how can we stay on the right path? In today’s circumstances, can we still practise Seneca’s ideas and achieve happiness?
In contrast to Seneca’s contemporaries, we can benefit from more than twenty centuries of experience. People have studied and practised Seneca’s ideas in good and bad times. Let us take a look at the key lessons provided by history.
Seneca: aligning our actions with nature
Seneca’s most important principle is present in the record of every practitioner of Stoicism. I am referring to the principle that our happiness and success depend on the alignment of our actions with nature, which Seneca equated with reason.
We can trace this principle in all of Seneca’s works, but I am going to point specifically to his 119th Letter to Lucilius. I view the 119th Letter as the foremost exponent of this principle due to its emphasis on consistency.
Seneca underlines that, if we want to enjoy the full benefits of philosophy, we should align our actions with nature, day in and day out. In particular, we should not stop practising virtue during good times, when it seems that nothing could go wrong.
All elements of Stoic philosophy arise from this principle. I view Seneca’s Letters to Lucilius as a collection of instructions for putting those elements into practice.
When Seneca recounts in the 9th Letter to Lucilius the calm reaction of Stilbo of Megara (4th century BC) to the loss of his family, or when he extols in the 90th Letter the simple lifestyle of the Spartans, he is telling us how to align our actions with nature.
Justus Lipsius’ restatement of Seneca’s philosophy
From all practitioners of Seneca’s philosophy in history, I’m particularly partial to the Flemish thinker Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) because of his ambition to reinstate Stoicism as a major philosophical movement and combine it with Christianity.
Lipsius’ writings depict accurately the obstacles to putting Seneca’s ideas into practice and offer advice of perennial value. I regard his “Handbook of Stoic Philosophy” (1604) as a most worthy contribution to the corpus of Stoic thought.
He also wrote an essay “On Constancy” (1584), which gives advice on how to achieve mental resilience. Lipsius’ writings expand and complement the tenets enunciated by Seneca in his essay “On the Constancy of the Wise.”
Like other sixteenth-century philosophers, Lipsius travelled extensively in Europe. He held teaching positions in Jena for a couple of years, in Leiden for twelve years, and then in Leuven for the last fifteen years of his life.
Lipsius reinforces Seneca’s call for aligning our actions with nature. He emphasises constancy as a key Stoic virtue, without which it becomes impossible to face “the chaos of the world.”
I find it remarkable that Lipsius wrote “On Constancy” at a time when he was himself severely ill. The advice provided in this work was gathered by Lipsius during his fight with illness, when he could not tell if he had long to live.
Justus Lipsius on Seneca’s path to resilience
Lipsius’ attempt at conciliating Stoicism with Christianity started in 1568, while he was working in Rome as secretary to Cardinal Granvelle. The job lasted only two years, but allowed Lipsius to study patristic works at the Vatican library and note how they resembled the writings of Seneca’s and Tacitus’.
Patristic works emphasise resilience based on faith, but their conception of history as divinely driven does not differ much from Seneca’s trust in reason as the driving principle of nature.
When Lipsius moved to Leiden, he deepened his research in this area. His editions of Tacitus’s works (1574) and Seneca’s (1605) are influenced by the insights he had gained in Rome.
For instance, a reader versed in Augustine will not help to detect his influence on Lipsius’ presentation of Tacitus’ concept of good governance. The same can be said of the influence of patristic authors on the presentation of Seneca’s ideas on Stoic resilience.
Lipsius conclusion was unmistakable: The practice of Stoic principles is consistent with Christianity and commendable for leading a balanced life. Happiness cannot be guaranteed, but it is surely worth it to practise ideas that help us make the best of our lives.
If you are interested in putting rational ideas into practice in all kinds of situations, I recommend my book “The philosophy of builders.”
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