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