Historians have greatly exaggerated the importance of the Stoic insights on the fear of death. Seneca wrote about #death in his essays and in the Letters to Lucilius, but did little more than rehashing the views of earlier philosophers. I can summarise Seneca’s insights in two sentences: First, death is part of the normal life cycle, but hypochondriacs and paranoiacs will refuse to accept this fact. Second, it is wiser to devote one’s efforts to living wisely rather than #worrying about death. #seneca Seneca was baffled that people would consume endless time and energy worrying about death, consulting astrologists and oracles, and mourning deceased family members and friends. In Ancient Greece and Rome, many rituals revolved around death, but the same can be said of other cultures. A large share of the buildings preserved by history serve as burial places for aristocrats and heroes. Death seems to have been an obsession for everybody, irrespective of their beliefs or ideology. During his exile in Corsica, Seneca wrote to his mother and conveyed his thoughts on #suffering and death. Scholars have named this letter “Consolation to Helvia.” Seneca had recently turned forty-five and Helvia must have been in her sixties. In his letter, Seneca elaborates the theme of “misfortune is a normal element of life.” He is primarily referring to his exile in Corsica, but he had used the same logic in letters about death, sickness and financial setbacks.Seneca argues that suffering can help victims “develop their mental strength,” but the #logic is weak. I can imagine far easier ways to develop one’s mental strength. Do we need to undergo severe injuries to learn to avoid infections? I dare say no. The Consolation to Helvia revolves around Seneca’s belief that we’ll attain freedom if we become “masters of ourselves,” but does not explain how self-chastisement and endurance can possibly render our lives better. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/seneca-on-the-fear-of-death/
