John Vespasian

When asked about someone’s contribution to philosophy, I reply by giving a list of his innovations. I want to underline the new concepts that he brought forth, the intellectual connections that nobody else had made until that point. In the case of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), I couldn’t point to any innovation. He didn’t put forward any new concept nor did he make any new intellectual connecti...

In assessing cultural influences, I find it more conclusive to look at philosophical values than at anecdotes and artifices of style. Thinkers leave behind ethical systems to live by, and the very best of those thinkers build intellectual systems to support their values. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) belongs to the group that left behind ethical guidelines, practical and tangible, but roving and...

Few philosophers in history have analysed the advantages, disadvantages, and consequences of solitude. Seneca is one of those few. I regard his observations and advice in this area as particularly worthy. Seneca wrote the essay “On the Tranquillity of the Soul” precisely to explain how to achieve peace of mind. Solitude is one of his prescriptions, but we must first grasp how to benefit from it. W...

There is a perfect recipe for never getting angry or annoyed. If we stop caring and become indifferent, we won’t experience irritation when things don’t go our way. The problem with this recipe is that it will also destroy our motivation for achieving success and happiness. Seneca reflected extensively about the cause of anger and irritation. He viewed those as the root of evil and violence in gen...

The question assumes that people are still reading books in our century, instead of watching movies, playing video-games, or practising sports. Indeed, a percentage of the population still enjoys reading. Those are the only ones who purchase books. Thus, the question is wrongly formulated. Instead of asking why we should read Seneca today, I should have asked why we should read Seneca’s books inst...

Few people read books written a hundred years ago. Even fewer show interest in books written two thousand years ago. I am one of those exceptions, one of the few who regularly devotes time to reading Seneca. I love reading Seneca’s essays and his Letters to Lucilius because they deliver one important benefit: They prompt me to reassess my priorities. Seneca’s insights give me the strength to quit...

Before devoting time to reading a classical work, it is fair to ask about its relevance today. Why should I devote my energy to reading a classic? What lessons can I possibly learn from an author who lived centuries ago? Michel de #montaigne (1533-1592) is one of the few classics that passes this test with flying colours. What is the relevance level of his works today? My answer is: hundred per ce...

Until recently, society used to hold old individuals in high regard. It was recognised that wisdom comes from experience, and that learning from other people’s mistakes is more practical than making our own. Michel de #montaigne (1533-1592) made it his life’s mission to compile the wisdom of the past. He devoted twenty years of his life to writing essays, condensing the wisdom of #aristotle (384-3...

The process of philosophical development is similar to the process of learning to walk after you have suffered an injury. It takes lots of training for your muscles to work properly and in a coordinated manner. The learning process can prove tough, but works fine if you are willing to put in the hours; there are ways to accelerate and shorten the process, and from those ways, the most effective is...

#aristotle ’s views on politics and #governance can be summed up in a few sentences: depending on the number of rulers (one, a few, everybody), political systems for the #commongood can be classified into monarchies, aristocracies, and polities. When rulers abuse their power, those three systems shall be named tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. In order to prevent abuse of power, Aristotle advised...

In the next paragraphs, I am going to summarise the advice from #seneca about dealing with failure. He devoted a couple of decades to compiling his advice, not only from his personal experience, but also from other notable persons in the early Roman Empire. Seneca called for keeping adequate margins of error. I mean having a backup plan or sufficient resources to keep us above water even if the wo...

Most philosophers get it wrong about revenge, and #seneca was no exception. In his essays titled “On Anger” and “On Clemency,” he recommended to forget #injury and insult, and abandon the #idea of revenge. Seneca gave extensive #arguments against revenge when conceived as warlike. He said that, if we seek revenge, we’ll become “slaves to our passions.” He categorised revengeful individuals as irra...

Let us beware of people who preach passivity because they might be trying to slow us down. If they have already taken advantage of the situation, they might be preaching resignation to prevent their victims from taking action. Seneca condemned revenge, but did his idea of revenge also include creative, peaceful solutions? When he wrote about revenge, he meant bitterness, aggression and chaos. I te...

#forgiveness has become the universal recipe for betrayal, at least theoretically. Moral leaders tell their flock to forget what they have suffered, purify their hearts, and move on with their lives. In the early Roman Empire, #seneca was the most notable #philosopher to preach forgiveness as a recipe for dealing with betrayal. His recommendations are close to those formulated by Christianity. Act...

Even the smartest, most enlightened humans are doomed to suffer from envy and jealousy. #seneca analysed the problem and came up with an imperfect solution. He spent considerable time reflecting about this matter, but his deficient logic prevented him from seeing the truth. I consider it important to study Seneca’s #philosophy on this issue, and see where he went wrong exactly. Understanding his e...

People frequently ask me what is the point of studying philosophy? My answer is always short. A few words suffice. The point of studying philosophy is learning to see. Once you get familiar with key #philosophical doctrines, such as those put forward by Aristotle, you will understand the world better and make better decisions. A good example of “learning to see” is the theory of the soul. The conc...

It is naive to believe that history advances only in a single direction. If that was the case, people wouldn’t repeat #mistakes made in the past. If that was the case, knowledge would grow with each generation and lessons would never be forgotten. Unfortunately, historical and #philosophical lessons are often forgotten. #aristotle came up with the two key ideas of balanced governance, but history...

If you contest a principle, it follows that you are contesting its consequences. If you disagree with Aristotle’s #metaphysics (the #principles of identity and causality), you’ll inevitably have to reject his theory of justice. According to Aristotle, justice is a #virtue (habitual practice) consisting of giving to each person his due. His definition rests on the principle of identity (that a man...

When Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) began to question mainstream philosophical ideas, he expected heavy #opposition and criticism. In this respect, he was not disappointed. Almost all twentieth-century thinkers have opposed Schopenhauer and his theory of the will. Hefty opposition was no surprise to Schopenhauer precisely because he had presented his ideas as improvements on those of #immanuelka...

While most nineteenth-century #philosophers focused their efforts on epistemology and social ethics, Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860) stands alone in his concern for individual well- being and happiness. He rejected the trend set by Kant, Fichte and #hegel because he could not see any practical application. Those three thinkers are categorised in #philosophy books as “idealistic,” but I think that...

I can summarise in one sentence the #philosophy of life put forward by Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860); my summary is the following: “Unless you make steady efforts to improve and protect yourself, chances are that bad luck will wipe you out.” Mainstream philosophers call Schopenhauer a #pessimist and consider his work uninteresting. They argue that Schopenhauer had little concern for social issu...

Every artwork entails magnification. It blows some aspects of reality out of proportion to underline their significance from the creator’s viewpoint. Other aspects are minimised, ignored, distorted or blurred. #seneca was a playwright before becoming a #stoic philosopher. It is enlightening to study his plays because they announce the principles of Stoicism, magnify its powerful insights, and atte...

#patience and #endurance have become the archetypal #virtues of those who claim to be enlightened. When the situation gets from bad to worse, they are the first to recommend resignation, acceptance and passivity. #seneca is to blame for originating the passive #mentality that will accept anything, even the most outrageous abuses. That’s the mentality of inner serenity amidst turbulence and decay....

#stoicism is often presented as a purely reactive philosophy. Its role is to toughen the soul for enduring setbacks, adversity, and eventually death; and its goal is the reduction of emotional pain, devoting little energy to solving the root problems. #seneca was the most prolific Stoic author in #ancientrome , but his recommendations are far more dynamic than those made by previous Stoic thinkers...

The concept of #stress in our century is dramatically different from the concepts in prior centuries. People in the Middle Ages or in Ancient Rome wouldn’t have understood our concerns for issues such as noise pollution and work overload. Seneca wrote extensively about #worries and preoccupations, but those would involve life-or-death threats. I am referring to people worrying about not having eno...