Ideas of Seneca the Younger, by Theme

[Roman, -4 - 65, Born in Cordoba, Spain. Chief adviser to the Emperor Nero. Murdered by his master.]

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1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom
13310 Wisdom does not lie in books, and unread people can also become wise
1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 2. Wise People
13560 A wise man is not subservient to anything
13295 Wise people escape necessity by willing it
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly
13293 What philosophy offers humanity is guidance
13317 Philosophy aims at happiness
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 3. Analysis of Preconditions
13309 That something is a necessary condition of something else doesn't mean it caused it
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 5. Linguistic Analysis
13313 Even philosophers have got bogged down in analysing tiny bits of language
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation
13297 To the four causes Plato adds a fifth, the idea which guided the event
17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 1. Dualism
13307 If everything can be measured, try measuring the size of a man's soul
19. Language / B. Reference / 1. Reference theories
21399 Referring to a person, and speaking about him, are very different
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / a. Idealistic ethics
13558 The supreme good is harmony of spirit
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / j. Ethics by convention
13325 Trouble in life comes from copying other people, which is following convention instead of reason
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / d. Health
22239 Humans acquired the concept of virtue from an analogy with bodily health and strength [Allen]
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death
13294 We know death, which is like before birth; ceasing to be and never beginning are the same
13299 Living is nothing wonderful; what matters is to die well
13300 It is as silly to lament ceasing to be as to lament not having lived in the remote past
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love
13321 Is anything sweeter than valuing yourself more when you find you are loved?
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / i. Self-interest
13292 Selfishness does not produce happiness; to live for yourself, live for others
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / a. Nature of happiness
13550 To be always happy is to lack knowledge of one half of nature
13303 A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / b. Eudaimonia
13302 Life is like a play - it is the quality that matters, not the length
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / e. Role of pleasure
13301 We are scared of death - except when we are immersed in pleasure!
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / f. Dangers of pleasure
13323 The whole point of pleasure-seeking is novelty, and abandoning established ways
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / b. Living naturally
13318 Nature doesn't give us virtue; we must unremittingly pursue it, as a training and an art
13324 Living contrary to nature is like rowing against the stream
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / c. Motivation for virtue
13559 I seek virtue, because it is its own reward
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / e. Character
13554 True greatness is never allowing events to disturb you
13305 Character is ruined by not looking back over our pasts, since the future rests on the past
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / j. Unity of virtue
13561 Virtue is always moderate, so excess need not be feared
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues
13562 It is shameful to not even recognise your own slaves
13556 Every night I critically review how I have behaved during the day
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / b. Temperance
13312 Excessive curiosity is a form of intemperance
13308 It's no good winning lots of fights, if you are then conquered by your own temper
13552 Anger is an extreme vice, threatening sanity, and gripping whole states
13553 Anger is a vice which afflicts good men as well as bad
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 4. External Goods / a. External goods
13549 Nothing bad can happen to a good man
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 4. External Goods / c. Wealth
13564 There is far more scope for virtue if you are wealthy; poverty only allows endurance
13565 If wealth was a good, it would make men good
13563 Why does your wife wear in her ears the income of a wealthy house?
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / d. General will
13315 To govern used to mean to serve, not to rule; rulers did not test their powers over those who bestowed it
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / f. Against democracy
13557 Unfortunately the majority do not tend to favour what is best
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 5. Education / c. Teaching
13290 One joy of learning is making teaching possible
13322 Both teachers and pupils should aim at one thing - the improvement of the pupil
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 4. Suicide
13298 Suicide may be appropriate even when it is not urgent, if there are few reasons against it
13319 If we control our own death, no one has power over us
13320 Sometimes we have a duty not to commit suicide, for those we love
27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 1. Mechanics / c. Forces
13548 The ocean changes in volume in proportion to the attraction of the moon
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / a. Absolute time
13311 Does time exist on its own? Did anything precede it? Did it pre-exist the cosmos?