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Seneca to Lucilius: 44, philosophy as the great equalizer
“If there is any good in philosophy, it is this: it has no regard for genealogies.” (Letters to Lucilius, XLIV.1)
At the beginning of his 44th letter to his friend Lucilius, Seneca reminds us that philosophy is for everyone, regardless of one’s ancestry or so-called “noble” birth. This is a point I often have difficulty getting across when I talk about Stoicism to the media. A common objection raised to my presentation of the philosophy is that it’s elitist, since few people have enough leisure time to read the ancients, or a sufficient degree of education to appreciate them.
But that is simply not the case. No more than it is the case with Buddhism, which is practiced by half a billion people, or Christianity, which counts almost two and a half billion people among its followers. Of course, if one wishes to become sufficiently steeped in Stoicism to be able to write books or give lectures about it, one does need a somewhat sophisticated background in philosophy, and time to spare. But that person would be the equivalent of a Christian theologian, for instance, and most Christians don’t have to get to those levels in order to practice their religion.
The same goes with practical philosophies for everyday life, such as Stoicism. The basic precepts are easy to understand, and both ancient and modern Stoics (with some exceptions) speak plainly, in a way that can be understood by most people, regardless of background. That’s why it is such a powerful experience to read Seneca, Epictetus, or Marcus Aurelius. And that is why Seneca continues:
“Excellence of mind is available to all: in this regard we are all nobly born.” (Letters, XLIV.2)
Going on to make his point by way of examples:
“Philosophy neither rejects anyone nor chooses anyone; it shines for all. Socrates was no patrician; Cleanthes hauled water, and hired himself out to water people’s gardens; Plato did not come to philosophy a nobleman but was ennobled by it.”…
