How to think like Seneca

We could substantially increase our #performance if we learn to think like the greatest philosophers in history, but is it really possible? I consider it feasible to the extent that one is familiar with the corresponding #ideas and those are consistent. Aristotelian thinkers know the works of #aristotle (384-322 BC), have absorbed their principles, and put them into practice each day. Aristotelians take pride in their ability to think like Aristotle on a consistent basis. If we ask the same question to two Aristotelian thinkers, we will normally get the same answer. That’s because those people are employing the same Aristotelian #logic , which constitutes a consistent body of thought. Unfortunately, few thinkers are as consistent as Aristotle. If we take Plato (427-347 BC) for example, we will find that his ideas include mystical, supernatural elements. Plato never gave logical explanations for those elements. In view of Plato’s deficient logic, it would be hard to answer the question whether we can think like Plato. When it came to explaining how humans learn and reach conclusions, #plato was unable to give answers. Instead, he pointed to a supernatural “world of forms” that allegedly provides us the answers. When a #philosophical system is deficient, like Plato’s, it is pointless to ask if we can think like Plato. We could regurgitate Plato’s ideas about “the world of forms,” but those ideas make no sense and are worthless for drawing conclusions. I would not consider the regurgitation of deficient ideas as “thinking” in the proper sense. We could repeat Plato’s ideas as nauseam, but they won’t grow any clearer with use. Instead of thinking, we will be engaged in philosophical obfuscation. Seneca constitutes less of a challenge in this respect because he circumscribed his philosophy to the field of ethics. He didn’t write anything meaningful about metaphysics, epistemology, politics and aesthetics. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/how-to-think-like-seneca/