The only thing that marks Seneca as ancient is his comparative lack of introspection. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. This page works best with JavaScript. They touch on a wide range of topics from a happy life to the moral one. Seneca’s metaphysical arguments are weak and confused affairs; he is not one for disputation. Emerson wrote “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” and Seneca apparently would agree, for there are many inconsistencies to be found in these pages. Buy Letters from a Stoic: Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium (Classics) by Seneca, Campbell, Robin, Campbell, Robin, Campbell, Robin (ISBN: 8601420051690) from Amazon's Book … The Stoic… Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2019. Death alone is the equal privilege of mankind. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. *Letters from a Stoic* is a first-person look at how an experienced Stoic applies philosophy to ordinary life and the world around him. He has an enormous talent for epigram; he can squeeze a lifetime into a line, compress a philosophy into a phrase. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. This selection of Seneca's letters shows him upholding the ideals of Stoicism - the wisdom of the self-possessed person immune to life's setbacks - while … Those of this persuasion will be happy to find a forerunner and a sage in Seneca. - A.D. 65) acquired as Nero's minister were in conflict with his Stoic beliefs. Like Marcus Aurelius, a prominent statesman in troubled times, Seneca is very concerned with how to be happy in spite of circumstances. This is a book that I keep next to my bed, and when I take trips it goes in my suitcase. Amazon seems to be screwing up the Kindle books operation lately. Letters from a Stoic, which Seneca wrote toward the end of his life from approximately 63 AD to 65 AD, expands upon these lessons. He was a little annoying sometimes, actually--as many teetotalers and vegetarians tend to be. Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2018, I did enjoy Seneca, but not nearly as much as the other ancient Stoics, Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius. Here is Seneca on negative thinking: The mind at times fashions for itself false shapes of evil when there are no signs that point to evil; it twists into the worst construction some word of doubtful meaning; or it fancies some personal grudge to be more serious than it really is, considering not how angry the enemy is, but to what lengths he may go if he is angry. He also had a very pietistic, spiritualized sort of Stoicism which looked forward to some kind of heathen heaven, as opposed to the more practical, down-to-earth Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius, which was disappointing. These letters are fantastic in that there is such a variety of information and subjects covered. Perhaps because of his professed aversion to abstract argument, Seneca is not a systematic thinker. He offers, instead, an unsystematic mass of advice. Sêneca & Robin Campbell. As the opening quote shows, he conceived philosophy to be, above all, the giving of good advice. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. But what's delivered is the three volume Richard Grummere translation, originally from the Loeb Classics. Sometimes it's like looking into the mirror of western civilization, others it's like looking at our cultural family tree, but most of the time it's a book that consoles me and offers new perspectives no matter what I'm dealing with in life. For a new generation of Stoic students and practitioners (and the merely curious), this lively, timeless guide to living the good life is essential reading. One of the most persistent criticisms made of modern philosophy is that it isn’t useful. Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2020. That implies driving a straightforward and fair life free of bad habit and enticement – yet that is more diligently to accomplish than it sounds. By way of example, below are a few Seneca gems along with my brief comments: Not the Penguin edition/Campbell translation, Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2018. His views on slaves and their treatment stand in stark contrast to what was popular in his time, advocating that they were human beings, just like anyone else, and that they should be treated with respect and not fear. The most important, influential, and quotable lines from the timeless "Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca. Basking in the Basque Country: San Sebastián, Review: A Guide to the Good Life – Lotz in Translation, Review: Medieval Islamic Philosophical Writings – Lotz in Translation, Córdoba: the Great Mosque – Lotz in Translation, Córdoba: In Search of Al-Andalus – Lotz in Translation. It also strongly encouraged obedience to the state, as the school of Stoicism perceived the world as a 'single great community'. Reading Letters from a Stoic will help you build resilience, compassion, patience and all the other virtues. Montaigne and Emerson obviously learned a great deal from Seneca; you might even say they ripped him off. He is by turns intimate, friendly, self-deprecating, nagging, mundane, and profound. Most refreshing is Seneca’s insistence that his advice is for action and not reflection. Contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth, consiglari to Emperor Nero, Seneca summarizes the values we have come to appreciate most after 7 decades among the human species. As I progress on my quest for wisdom from the classical periods I recently read Cicero's "Selected Works" and Lurcreius' "On the Nature of Things" both of which I thought lacked in any deep knowledge and found them both to be greatly disappointing. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Click Download or Read Online button to get Letters From A Stoic book now. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Read More on Amazon Read the Original Get My Searchable Collection of 200+ Book Notes. ), Printed book by Penguin is wonderful; Kindle edition is unrelated, Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2018. Letters from a Stoic: The 124 Epistles of Seneca - Complete. Written over two thousand years ago, Seneca's moral letters to his friend Lucilius - aka Letters from a Stoic - still holds power to enthrall. Topics featured range from discussions on the shortness of life and anger to immortality and death. He did have the occasional gem of wisdom, but a lot of this book he just seemed to ramble and rant. They are very well written and clear, making them a fantastic read (whether you agree with what’s being said or not). Letters From A Stoic. People don’t have time or patience for logic-chopping; they want useful advice. It is in these sections, of plain, friendly advice, that I think Seneca is at his best. Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2015. This book should rather be thought of as a collection of moral essays and exhortations. This book is an excellent … Letters From A Stoic: Ultra Condensed Cliffnotes #17. The most disgraceful type of loss is that due to carelessness. That's a selection of the letters, a five star volume and a bargain at the advertised price. Articles Notes Brain Newsletter YouTube Twitter Members. It is here that Seneca is most charming and helpful, for most other philosophers would not deign to offer such workaday recommendations and observations. 4 BCE – 65 CE) was a philosopher, dramatist and statesman known for his many essays and letters on philosophical topics, as well as a number of dramatic tragedies. Even though many of these problems do have practical ramifications, many do not; and regardless, the debates can often get so technical, so heated, and so abstract, that it is difficult to see modern philosophy as the path to wisdom it once professed to be. He is also remarkably modern in his tolerant, cosmopolitan, and informal attitude. Overview Written over two thousand years ago, SenecaÕs moral letters to his friend Lucilius Ð aka Letters from a Stoic - still holds the power to enthrall. ( Log Out /  You must rather become content with yourself, taking pleasure in life whether fortune smiles or frowns: “We have reached the heights if we know what it is that we find joy in and if we have not placed our happiness in externals.”. Despite his relatively undistinguished background and ever-recurrent ill health, he rose rapidly to prominence at Rome, pursuing the double career in 1,560 global ratings | 440 global reviews, Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2017. While Montaigne and Emerson are mercurial, wracked by self-doubt, driven by contrary tides of emotion, Seneca is calm, self-composed, confident. Modern philosophy largely concerns itself with a variety of theoretical problems. The Roman stoic Seneca (ca. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Download Letters From A Stoic PDF/ePub or read online books in Mobi eBooks. Rating: 10/10. Selected from the Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Seneca's Letters from a Stoic are a set of 'essays in disguise' from one of the most insightful philosophers of the Silver Age of Roman literature. Certainly not all of his advice is good; every reader will pick and choose what suits them best. AnniceBerggren. But much of Seneca’s advice is timeless, and phrased in deathless prose. From it you not only learn the core tenets of Stoicism, but get to witness the intellectual practice of someone who's wholly devoted to cultivating his mind, mastering philosophy, and achieving long-lasting happiness. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Instead of reviewing the contents, which should be required reading for everyone, and which have absolutely withstood the test of time, I'll review the book itself. Modern philosophy largely concerns itself with a variety of theoretical problems. My rating: 4 of 5 stars. Full E-book Letters from a Stoic: Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium (Classics) For Online. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Virtue is something which must be learned. Life may get harder, but with the proper perception, it will be much more manageable. Read "Letters from a Stoic Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium" by Seneca available from Rakuten Kobo. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, "It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who hankers after more, Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2015. 0:26 [PDF] Letters from a Stoic Full Online. Of course, this is easier said than done, and Seneca does not have a fully worked-out system for reaching this state. It, too, is a five star edition and a terrific bargain at the price. Seneca’s letters show a leading roman stoic at their barest. The Penguin Classics edition is shown, with translation by Robin Campbell. TheresaSmith1707. Letters from a Stoic All 124 Letters (Audio Download): Amazon.in: Seneca, John Winston, MuseumAudiobooks.com: Audible Audiobooks ( Log Out /  Realizing the power that comes from all the virtues will make your life better. *Letters from a Stoic* is a first-person look at how an experienced Stoic applies philosophy to ordinary life and the world around him. The wrong edition/translation being sent to your Kindle, Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2020. 0:36 [Read] Letters from a Stoic For Free. Sometimes God is conceived of as an impersonal order of the universe, and at other times a personal deity; sometimes Lucilius is advised not to take the opinions of friends and family into account, other times to do so. This edition of Letters from a Stoic, otherwise known as Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium contains the one hundred and twenty four letters written by the elderly Seneca. Author : Seneca,Richard Mott Gummere; Publisher : Lulu.com; Release : 11 July 2018; GET THIS BOOK Letters from a Stoic: The 124 Epistles of Seneca - Complete. Glory is an empty and fleeting thing, lighter than air. Seneca presents the stoic doctrine’s response to help us overcome the torments caused by human fears and desires and achieve tranquility, the ideal state of serenity experienced fully and permanently by the ideal stoic sage. The critics have a point. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. The critics have a point. The Letters are part of the foundation of Stoic thought making Seneca one of the indispensable thinkers from Ancient Roman philosophy. Stoicism also valued upright conduct & fair, just dealings, simple living habits that abstained from overly indulgent, or luxurious extravagance. There is no satisfaction to be had through external goods, like fame and riches, because these cannot be gotten unless fortune is kind, and fortune is notoriously fickle. Although this book apparently consists of the private correspondence between Seneca and his friend Lucilius, it is obvious from the first page that these were expressly written for publication and posterity. Seneca thus finds a perfect vehicle for his thought in the form of the letter. Below are my personal notes of Letters From a Stoic. bkv83343. But for all this, there is a core of good sense contained within these pages, which Seneca himself summarizes: No man is good by chance. This is more than slightly ironic, considering that Seneca is often accused of being a hypocrite whose lifestyle was far removed from his doctrines; but, to quote a modern philosopher, “There is no contradiction, or even paradox, in describing someone as bad at practising what he is good at preaching.” So preach on, Seneca. Letters from a Stoic Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium. Death is not an evil; why need you ask? This Penguin Classics was the book that introduced me to Stoicism, and ancient philosophy. 0:36. Seneca's letters to his friend Lucilius, an aspiring Stoic, contain much practical wisdom and general advice that can be used and practised even in our modern age. I have bought several copies to give to people over the years. It includes all 124 letters. Poverty is an evil to no man unless he kick’s against it. This site is like a library, Use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The unflattering review is not for Seneca or his letters but for the false advertising. These letters of Roman philosopher Seneca are a treasure chest for anybody wishing to incorporate philosophic wisdom into their day-to-day living. Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. The letters provide practical steps for people to deal with the human suffering that comes with life’s problems. 18111 Ratings. So it was to my great delight that I stumbled on Seneca's "Letters From a Stoic" which I highly recommend. I've given this book away several times and plan to give it away more, but I always buy a new one. This Penguin Classics edition is translated from the Latin with an introduction by Robin Campbell. A man whose life was devoted to upholding these core values would be self-sufficient, tolerant of suffering, self-reliant & 'superior to the wounds & upsets of life'. It's a very readable translations of selections by a very humane philosopher. Despite his relatively undistinguished background and ever-recurrent ill health, he rose rapidly to prominence at Rome, pursuing the double career in Philosophy is good advice; and no one can give advice at the top of his lungs. For a new generation of Stoic students and practitioners (and the merely curious), this lively, timeless guide to living the good life is essential reading. Topics featured range from discussions on the shortness of life and anger to immortality and death. The letters provide practical steps for people to deal with the human suffering that comes with life’s problems. Full E-book Letters from a Stoic: Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium Review. The first part (I-II, xvii) deals with theoretical issues, while the second part (II,xviii – final) offers therapeutic advice. Even in translation, Seneca is a master stylist. Change ). Philosophy is good advice; and no one can give advice at the top of his lungs. Even in good times, this can only lead you into an empty, meaningless competition, valuing yourself for something that isn’t really yours, causing you to ceaselessly measure yourself against others. Indeed I often found it difficult to believe that the book was written by a real Roman. So basically a rehearsal in: praise of the minimalist lifestyle, living virtuously, mind over matter, eradication of fear and angst, etc. Seneca's Famous Epistles Read So Well, Everything Else Seems Like So Many 'Simple School Exercises'. Letters from a Stoic by Seneca Book Review The great life is a real existence lived as per nature. It's not a big stretch to imagine Seneca influenced the guys who wrote accounts of the Christ's life that were placed by Byzantine monks 300 years into the book known as the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Some of the techniques listed in Letters from a Stoic (a selection) may require a sound knowledge of Hypnosis, users are advised to either leave those sections or must have a basic understanding of the subject before practicing them. Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. The power and wealth which Seneca the Younger (c.4 B.C. Saturday, January 2, 2021. Letters from a Stoic 44 - On Philosophy and Pedigrees Review: Of Peace of Mind. LETTERS FROM A STOIC ADVISORY EDITOR: BETTY RADICE LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA, statesman, philosopher, advocate and man of letters, was born at Cordoba in Spain around 4 B.C. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, See all details for Letters from a Stoic (Penguin Classics), © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ( Log Out /  Some of my favorite passages loosely organized around a theme are as follows: Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018. Nevertheless he was the outstanding figure of his age. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. The essay “ Of Peace of Mind “ was written as a means of guidance for all those who wish to dedicate themselves to moral improvement. I'm an English teacher and book nerd living in Madrid. He was clearly thinking more of the sweet by and by than really working to improve the "hic et nunc" (here and now. LETTERS FROM A STOIC ADVISORY EDITOR: BETTY RADICE LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA, statesman, philosopher, advocate and man of letters, was born at Cordoba in Spain around 4 B.C. Pleasure is low, petty, to be deemed worthless, shared even by dumb animals—the tiniest and meanest of whom fly towards pleasure. These highlights were what I used to write my personal development book, Wiser Next Week, a condensation of many different self improvement books. Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a philosopher who lived during the Julio-Claudian era in Roman history during the first century A.D. His school of philosophical ideology was known as 'Stoicism', a manner of living & of perceiving the world which encouraged abstinence from unnecessary excess & a perpetual cultivation of the mind, primarily through a concept the Romans called the 'summum bonum', or 'supreme ideal' which was comprised of four fundamental qualities : wisdom, courage, self-control & justice. The work defines and explains anger within the context of Stoic philosophy, and offers therapeutic advice on how to prevent and control anger. ( Log Out /  One of the most persistent criticisms made of modern philosophy is that it isn’t useful. Seneca's letters, naturally, took on a much more persuasive tone than the Meditations while remaining true to the central themes of Stoicism. Penguin is wonderful ; Kindle edition is shown, with translation by Robin.! Most refreshing is Seneca ’ s against it I keep next to my bed and... With translation by Robin Campbell to abstract argument, Seneca is very concerned with how to be worthless. Insistence that his advice is good advice of moral essays and exhortations in Madrid your Google account even they... Will be much more manageable I take trips it goes in my suitcase, 2019 result! Fully worked-out system for reaching this state still see all customer reviews for the product from! 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