Seneca "On the happy life"

Seneca answers the charge that he does not practice what he preaches

"I speak about virtue, not about myself; and when I attack the vices, I attack my own vices especially"

seneca gives a seres of arguments against the Epicureran definition of happiness as pleasure, defending instead the Stoic view of happiness as virtue identify these arguments

- Pleasure can be separated from virtue: many things are pleasurable but not morally good, some things are virtuous but painful. - •Pleasure comes even to the most disgraceful life, but one can not act disgracefully and be virtuous - Pleasure is harmful in excess, but there can be no excess in virtue.

what are senecas key feelings that are the emotional marks of happiness

- cheerfulness - joy - freedom - peace of mind - friendless

Seneca offers at least 6 definitions of happiness, all stating the same proposition in diff words list the 6 definitions

1) a life lived in agreement with its own nature 2) the mind looking down on the things of fortune, joyous in virtue 3) the mind's undefeated strength, 4) who is a cultivator of the morally good, content with virtue; 5) a free, upright, fearless, and stable mind 6) feeling neither desire nor fear, owing to the gift of reason. 7) contentment with present circumstances, no matter what they are

all humans equal in worth use to our capacity to

choose

evaluate senecas theory of happiness

everyone naturally desires to be happy, but not everyone knows what will make them happy

explain the connections Seneca draws among happiness, virtue, freedom, and following God

freedom consists in obeying God

pantheism

god is coextensive with the whole universe, not above or outside of it

examples of preferred indifferents

money honor power health friendship family

which is an intrinsic worth and is it under our control

moral goodness and yes it is under our control

do preferred indifference have intrinsic worth

no! it is wrong to be distressed by their absence or loss

reason is

the divine spark within us

explain his thinking about the proper attitude towards wealth and prosperity

the point is not to avoid wealth but to avoid being excessively attached to it. one should prefer wealth (without loving it) because it gives greater scope for virtuous action Virtue is the sole good, but wealth and health are "preferables I deny that wealth is a good. For if it were a good, it would make people good... But I do admit that wealth is to be acquired and is useful and brings great advantages to life

what does the major stoic doctrine state

the universe is a rationally ordered whole (cosmos) everything happens for the best of reasons

is Seneca right that in seeking happiness, we should not follow the majority

yes - most people long for external goods or preferred differentials