Today Seneca begins telling us what "good" means. He says that sometimes good can be defined broadly and other times narrowly, like an army that is the same strength and loyalty whether spread out or grouped together. He says, "Thus, it will come to the same thing, if I say 'The highest good is a mind which despises the accidents of fortune, and takes pleasure in virtue': or, 'It is an unconquerable strength of mine, knowing the world well, gentle in its dealings, showing great courtesy and consideration for those with whom it is brought into contact.'"
So we see to different examples of what he calls good. Which is very different than the definition of "what is best in life" given by Conan the Barbarian above. Seneca says that "despising the accidents of fortune", which is an old school way of saying not being swayed by good news or bad news, not being controlled by whims or fads or excitement or fear, but instead "takes pleasure in virtue". That means using reason to decide what is most important in life, and then practicing that no matter what curves life throws at you. The second quote says that we are "strong in mind" if we know how the world operates and in the face of that knowledge treat everyone with courtesy and consideration. You see how this is related to, but different from, the Christian concept of love.
Do you see this as "the highest good"? Why or why not? Sound off in the comments!
See you tomorrow!
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