Seneca: putting the good life into practice

In ancient Greece and Rome, philosophy was conceived as a practical science; the purposes of philosophical learning were clearly defined: success, joy and happiness. #aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote his “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics” with the stated goal of helping his students achieve happiness. #seneca was not an exception in this regard. A prolific writer, he devoted the great majority of his essays and letters to dispensing advice about happiness. His #insights are based on human nature and, for this reason, are still applicable in our century. How does one put Seneca’s advice into practice? Which step should we take first, and how can we stay on the right path? In today’s circumstances, can we still practise Seneca’s ideas and achieve happiness? In contrast to Seneca’s contemporaries, we can benefit from more than twenty centuries of experience. People have studied and practised Seneca’s ideas in good and bad times. Let us take a look at the key lessons provided by history. Seneca’s most important principle is present in the record of every practitioner of #stoicism . I am referring to the principle that our #happiness and success depend on the alignment of our actions with nature, which Seneca equated with reason. We can trace this principle in all of Seneca’s works, but I am going to point specifically to his 119th Letter to Lucilius. I view the 119th Letter as the foremost exponent of this principle due to its emphasis on consistency. Seneca underlines that, if we want to enjoy the full benefits of philosophy, we should align our actions with nature, day in and day out. In particular, we should not stop practising virtue during good times, when it seems that nothing could go wrong. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-putting-the-good-life-into-practice