more from Seneca the Younger

Single Idea 13298

[catalogued under 25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 4. Suicide]

Full Idea

There are many occasions on which a man should leave life not only bravely but for reasons which are not as pressing as they might be - the reasons which restrain us being not so pressing either.

Gist of Idea

Suicide may be appropriate even when it is not urgent, if there are few reasons against it

Source

Seneca the Younger (Letters from a Stoic [c.60], 077)

Book Reference

Seneca: 'Letters from a Stoic (Selections)', ed/tr. Campbell,Robin [Penguin 1969], p.125


A Reaction

This is an interesting and startling claim from the great champion of suicide, who nobly and memorably committed suicide himself. But we all dread a loved one miscalculating Seneca's dialectic, and dying when living would have been better.