<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The paper discusses the conception of philosophy and ethics in Seneca’s <italic>Letters</italic>, as well as in his other writings, which it sets in the broader context of ancient and modern thought. The introduction outlines the Socratic and Stoic foundations of Seneca’s ethics. The next section focuses on the interpretation of passages from the <italic>Letters</italic> that remind us that the task of philosophy is to teach human to live an active life. The paper points out that, according to Seneca, philosophy resembles art more than knowledge, and Seneca adapts his language and the examples he uses to this effect. In the next section, the paper returns to delineating the relationship between theoretical and practical thought. The specificity of Seneca’s position becomes visible in the background of Aristotle’s problematization of this relationship. The last section asks how we should approach Seneca’s conception of ethics and philosophy. The analyses outlined above show that Seneca’s <italic>Letters</italic> fully express an approach to philosophy as an art of living, an approach that modern authors such as Nietzsche and Foucault consider determinative for the whole of ancient philosophy.</p>
</abstract>

The paper discusses the conception of philosophy and ethics in Seneca’s Letters, as well as in his other writings, which it sets in the broader context of ancient and modern thought. The introduction outlines the Socratic and Stoic foundations of Seneca’s ethics. The next section focuses on the interpretation of passages from the Letters that remind us that the task of philosophy is to teach human to live an active life. The paper points out that, according to Seneca, philosophy resembles art more than knowledge, and Seneca adapts his language and the examples he uses to this effect. In the next section, the paper returns to delineating the relationship between theoretical and practical thought. The specificity of Seneca’s position becomes visible in the background of Aristotle’s problematization of this relationship. The last section asks how we should approach Seneca’s conception of ethics and philosophy. The analyses outlined above show that Seneca’s Letters fully express an approach to philosophy as an art of living, an approach that modern authors such as Nietzsche and Foucault consider determinative for the whole of ancient philosophy.

Ethics as self-mastery in Seneca’s <italic>Letters</italic>

Ethics & Bioethics

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{"article-title":{"italic":"Letters","content":"Ethics as self-mastery in Seneca\u2019s"}}

The paper discusses the conception of philosophy and ethics in Seneca’s Letters, as well as in his other writings, which it sets in the broader context of...

Ethics as self-mastery in Seneca’s Letters

Published Online: Jun 06, 2024

Page range: 1 - 13

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ebce-2024-0008

Keywords
Seneca’s, Stoic ethics, Aristotle, theoretical and practical, philosophy as a way of living, Nietzsche, Foucault

© 2024 Vladislav Suvák, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Ethics as self-mastery in Seneca’s Letters

Published Online: Jun 06, 2024

Page range: 1 - 13

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ebce-2024-0008

KeywordsSeneca’s, Stoic ethics, Aristotle, theoretical and practical, philosophy as a way of living, Nietzsche, Foucault

© 2024 Vladislav Suvák, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Seneca’s, Stoic ethics, Aristotle, theoretical and practical, philosophy as a way of living, Nietzsche, Foucault