Seneca on how to live a good life

Since the mid-twentieth century, many philosophers are not employing the term “happiness” any more in their goal setting. They do no longer preach that happiness is the goal of human life because, I guess, they find it unattainable. Instead of happiness, they are employing the term “the good life” as something that #philosophy can reasonably deliver. The goal has become modest and inconspicuous, and even then, the promises of philosophers are subject to numerous disclaimers. This modern philosophical trend has also reshaped the past. Even the works of #seneca have been affected by the renunciation to happiness in our culture. Words like “joy,” “delight” or “happiness” are seldom found in modern translations of ancient works. Instead, we are told to pursue “the good life,” give up our ambitions, and just content ourselves with Stoic bromides. Seneca would have been appalled at the blanket, pointless, unjustified renunciation of happiness; he had indeed developed a sophisticated philosophy to help people cope with adversity, but he never called for humanity to renounce happiness. I am also convinced that Seneca wouldn’t have endorsed the elimination of the idea of “happiness” from public conscience. He had a clear idea of what “the good life” means, but viewed it as a path to happiness, not as its replacement. In his 24th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca defined “the good life” as a lifestyle determined by reason, not by social expectations, prejudice and fear. Seneca’s rationale is straightforward: if we guide our life by reason, we’ll make better decisions and enjoy the ensuing rewards. Seneca developed this principle in an essay titled “On the Happy Life,” which he authored partly during his exile in Corsica. He argued extensively the following three points, which constitute the essence of his #moral advice. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-on-how-to-live-a-good-life/