Achieving happiness in life has been a topic of discussion among people for thousands of years. In particular, philosophers of all times are extremely concerned about this issue, one of which is Seneca. In his letters, he discusses the nature of a happy life and how to achieve it. He concludes that only acknowledgment of the natural order and cultivation of virtue can be sources of long-term calmness and peace of mind. This view is extremely relevant for modern society, where people are often subject to external influences that impose unnecessary values on them. This position, in turn, leads to dissatisfaction due to the inability to achieve ideals that are transmitted from the outside. This paper seeks to explore how Seneca’s views on a happy life can be applied within modern society. The position of a philosopher can become the basis for determining the value of the desires of a contemporary person in conditions of constant external influence.
According to Seneca, the reason is the primary source of calmness and peace in the human soul. He stresses that “the happy life depends on this and this alone: the attainment of perfect reason” (Seneca 58). The reason, in this case, refers to understanding the prerequisites for a particular phenomenon and accepting a natural order. The philosopher argues that fighting the established order in the world leads to a disturbance of peace and tranquility in the soul (Seneca 59). External factors that cannot be controlled by a person should not have a negative impact on the mind. Thus, it is necessary to take care of maintaining inner peace to try to cultivate virtue in the soul.
The philosopher notes that external factors have nothing to do with a person’s ability to be happy. Seneca explicitly stresses that “man’s primary art is virtue itself” (59). In turn, this quality is achieved through fair judgments and the greatness of the soul. It is the development of a person’s moral qualities that serve as the basis for an objective assessment of the world and one’s own personality, which is a virtue. A wise person who separates the controllable and uncontrollable events that can contribute to happiness cannot experience sadness. Seneca calls for cultivating reason that can be perfected in man (73). This view probably indicates the need to abandon those aspects of life that are objectively superfluous.
Despite the fact that the philosopher argues about the superiority of the soul and moral values over material values, he does not deny their necessity. In particular, Seneca stresses that a person cannot acquire freedom if he is a slave to the body (78). At the same time, he does not deny the importance of such aspects as “good health, rest, and freedom of pain” (Seneca 65). In this case, there is no contradiction since, according to the philosopher, the satisfaction of primary bodily needs is natural. Naturally established, in turn, has perfect reasoning, which is the basis of a happy life.
Thus, the philosopher’s view of the origin of a happy life seems extremely simple and widespread. Seneca believes that only the cultivation of virtue and moral values can be a source of happiness for a person. Physical or bodily disabilities, in turn, cannot be an obstacle to the acquisition or maintenance of happiness (Seneca 71). However, vices and desires, especially those emanating from the external environment and not from the natural order, can lead a person to a state of dissatisfaction and extreme sadness. This view correlates with the values that can be observed in modern society, especially in connection with the development of digital technologies and consumerism.
If Seneca were alive at the moment, he probably would have promoted the stated positions with even greater commitment. It cannot be denied that the vices of modern society, such as consumption and the pursuit of physical pleasure, were relevant to his contemporaries. However, modern society has elevated these values to a peak, increasingly rejecting reasoning and natural order. People often evaluate the fullness of their lives and their own happiness in terms of the amount of material wealth they possess. Additionally, for many, the recognition of society, fame, or the amount of attention that society pays to an individual is important. However, these aspects are largely external factors that cannot be controlled by a person.
Aspects such as wealth or recognition depend not only on the efforts of the person but also on chance or on the participation of other people. In this situation, if one considers the philosophy of Seneca, it cannot lead to peace and tranquility in the soul. On the contrary, desires lead to greater frustration and dissatisfaction, which cannot be managed by a person on his own through internal dialogue. In this context, modern society is highly influenced by social media that cultivate images of surplus values that cannot contribute to the perfection of virtue. Often, people are imposed on aspects that are not aimed at meeting the needs of natural order and do not have reasoning.
The acquisition of a particular product is not a means of satisfying a need, confusing pleasure, or achieving comfort but an end in itself. In this case, a person becomes a hostage to the desire but cannot determine the reason behind it. Such actions do not contribute to the cultivation of virtue but only lead to disappointment since they do not allow the achievement of lasting tranquility and peace of the soul. In particular, after purchasing a fashionable car or expensive clothes, a person quickly loses interest in it and looks for a new goal to satisfy desires.
Thus, from the view of Seneca, modern people can learn the need for moderation and reasoning in all actions and desires. People need to learn to separate the needs imposed by the external environment and the actual needs that come from the human soul. It cannot be denied that the pursuit of wealth or fame can also be an intrinsic value for many. However, it is important to understand what goals a person pursues through their achievement and to what result these values can lead. In more detail, it is important to identify your own desires that can bring long-term reassurance rather than haunt changing public attitudes. In this case, this position can be called the possibility of introspection and assessment of internal needs, which is a virtue in the modern world.
Seneca stressed the importance of being aware of the natural order and identifying reason based on it. Thus, the development of internal virtue, which consists of the refusal to obey external conditions and the supremacy of the soul over the body, can be a source of happiness. The philosopher’s reasoning is extremely relevant in the framework of modern society when people often turn to values that proceed from external conditions and are not their internal needs. In this situation, the contemporary man can learn to assess the active reason behind actions and desires in order to determine their potential contribution to achieving happiness.
Work Cited
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. On the Shortness of Life and on the Happy Life. Abbott ePublishing, 2009. Web.