Ideas from 'Letters from a Stoic' by Seneca the Younger [60], by Theme Structure
[found in 'Letters from a Stoic (Selections)' by Seneca (ed/tr Campbell,Robin) [Penguin 1969,0-14-044210-3]].
green numbers give full details |
back to texts
|
expand these ideas
1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom
|
13310
|
Wisdom does not lie in books, and unread people can also become wise
|
1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 2. Wise People
|
13295
|
Wise people escape necessity by willing it
|
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly
|
13317
|
Philosophy aims at happiness
|
|
13293
|
What philosophy offers humanity is guidance
|
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 3. Analysis of Preconditions
|
13309
|
That something is a necessary condition of something else doesn't mean it caused it
|
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 5. Linguistic Analysis
|
13313
|
Even philosophers have got bogged down in analysing tiny bits of language
|
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation
|
13297
|
To the four causes Plato adds a fifth, the idea which guided the event
|
17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 1. Dualism
|
13307
|
If everything can be measured, try measuring the size of a man's soul
|
19. Language / B. Reference / 1. Reference theories
|
21399
|
Referring to a person, and speaking about him, are very different
|
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / j. Ethics by convention
|
13325
|
Trouble in life comes from copying other people, which is following convention instead of reason
|
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / d. Health
|
22239
|
Humans acquired the concept of virtue from an analogy with bodily health and strength [Allen]
|
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death
|
13294
|
We know death, which is like before birth; ceasing to be and never beginning are the same
|
|
13299
|
Living is nothing wonderful; what matters is to die well
|
|
13300
|
It is as silly to lament ceasing to be as to lament not having lived in the remote past
|
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love
|
13321
|
Is anything sweeter than valuing yourself more when you find you are loved?
|
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / i. Self-interest
|
13292
|
Selfishness does not produce happiness; to live for yourself, live for others
|
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / a. Nature of happiness
|
13303
|
A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is
|
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / b. Eudaimonia
|
13302
|
Life is like a play - it is the quality that matters, not the length
|
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / e. Role of pleasure
|
13301
|
We are scared of death - except when we are immersed in pleasure!
|
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / f. Dangers of pleasure
|
13323
|
The whole point of pleasure-seeking is novelty, and abandoning established ways
|
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / b. Living naturally
|
13318
|
Nature doesn't give us virtue; we must unremittingly pursue it, as a training and an art
|
|
13324
|
Living contrary to nature is like rowing against the stream
|
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / e. Character
|
13305
|
Character is ruined by not looking back over our pasts, since the future rests on the past
|
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / b. Temperance
|
13312
|
Excessive curiosity is a form of intemperance
|
|
13308
|
It's no good winning lots of fights, if you are then conquered by your own temper
|
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / d. General will
|
13315
|
To govern used to mean to serve, not to rule; rulers did not test their powers over those who bestowed it
|
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 5. Education / c. Teaching
|
13290
|
One joy of learning is making teaching possible
|
|
13322
|
Both teachers and pupils should aim at one thing - the improvement of the pupil
|
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 4. Suicide
|
13298
|
Suicide may be appropriate even when it is not urgent, if there are few reasons against it
|
|
13320
|
Sometimes we have a duty not to commit suicide, for those we love
|
|
13319
|
If we control our own death, no one has power over us
|
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / a. Absolute time
|
13311
|
Does time exist on its own? Did anything precede it? Did it pre-exist the cosmos?
|