Letters from a Stoic

Seneca explains why he has stopped adding maxims from philosophers to the end of his letters. His view is that the system of Stoicism is too encompassing to lend itself to quotes. Seneca compares the philosophical school to a forest in which no singular tree may stand out. Epicurus’s maxims stand out because they are surprising to find in texts generally antithetical to the Stoic way of life. This “window-dressing” may mislead people into believing their school contains more than a few wise sayings from one man. Stoics, on the other hand, have a wealth of information that does not need to be attributed to any specific thinker. They can all draw from common knowledge shared among them.

Seneca does not object to Lucilius examining especially notable quotes, but these quotes cannot be viewed in isolation. They must be understood within the context of Stoic thought. The memorization of maxims can be useful for philosophical novices, but it limits philosophical development if pursued exclusively, as it means that one can only ever be an interpreter of others. A repeater of maxims will never be able to create their own wisdom. While old philosophers must be admired, Seneca emphasizes that they do not have a monopoly on the truth, so he and Lucilius must grow into their own as thinkers and advance philosophy.