This post reminded me that stoicism started to become less popular after Catholicism became the de facto state religion in most Western European nations around 4th-5th century AD.
Seneca, and also Socrates, saw these ethics long ago and actually made them part of the goal. For Seneca the virtue alone was almost considered the happiness.
I think stoicism urgently needs to be retaught at schools. The world would be a better place for it.
Tim Farriss quotes Seneca a lot on his podcasts. This is the second time I have seen strong Seneca support in the past week or so. My world works in threes.... great comment, something that needs to be discussed more.
I think nowadays Tim Ferris is one of the more vocal people who have made their teachings, their imperium based on stoic values.
The loss of the teachings such as Seneca and the picking up of Catholic religion took personal responsibility and put it in the hands of an authority. No longer could man save himself for he became too weak and had to rely on divine intervention and mouthpieces in its stead. Control mechanisms.
While that is true I don’t think that the old Greek method was better, except that it seems, emphasis: seems, society had less corrupt values.
Why do I think it wasn’t necessarily better? Many of the great masters, teachers, became politicians themselves. At heart that’s just as rotten. Burbach while much younger the democracy was definitely more mature.
Question: despite living in the country with currently the best educational, and least syllabus program based, system... will you homeschool your daughter in order to free her of those negatives imposed by politicians and lobbyists?