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,…

In the search for happiness, it is as important to do the right thing as it is to avoid dire mistakes. Seneca put together a list of mistakes to avoid, and warned us against our natural tendency to look for shortcuts. When it comes to virtue, character and happiness, I am afraid that every inch…

I have a simple way to assess the soundness of philosophers and gurus. I just need to ask them one question: What is your formula for happiness? If they fail to give a convincing answer, I will immediately lose any interest in their doctrines. Seneca placed peace of mind at the centre of his philosophy.…

Although Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) never developed a solidly integrated philosophy of happiness, he did gain some insights that we can apply today. Those insights are based on common sense and have been proven true by the experience of twenty one centuries. Seneca noted that low-key, down-to-earth individuals tend to be happier than ultra-ambitious, bombastic,…

When it comes to happiness, I can summarise the ideas of Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) in a few words: On this subject, Seneca knew little, learned nothing, and could not care less. In fact, only his essay “On the Happy Life” revolves primarily around this goal, and the means to attain it. Am I being…

Even the smartest, most enlightened humans are doomed to suffer from envy and jealousy. Seneca analysed the problem and came up with an imperfect solution. He spent considerable time reflecting about this matter, but his deficient logic prevented him from seeing the truth. I consider it important to study Seneca’s philosophy on this issue, and…

View Post↗ When taken out of context, philosophical statements prove misleading; when poorly defined, they become dangerous; and the more frequently they are repeated, the more dangerous they become. Seneca (4 BC-65 AD) did his fair share of repeating poorly defined statements. The fact that he eschewed debates spared him uncomfortable questions. For instance, readers…