Philosophy comes in many shapes, forms, roads and paths. All these directions lead to the same direction: the pursuit of wisdom. Of finding ways to be better. Of getting to know yourself and others a little better every day.
It’s this pursuit of wisdom that informs Simon Drew’s The Poet & The Sage, a book that dives deep into the essence of philosophy and invites you to find your own meaning.
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What do we mean by acceptance? Is it the avoidance of conflict? The understanding that some events are simply beyond our control? Is it the resignation that certain things won’t change? These kinds of questions are asked everyday all over the world and every culture has their own take on what acceptance means.
In Japan, ukeireru is a type of acceptance that the Japanese embrace and Scott Haas is interested in peering behind the curtain to see what exactly it means. In Why Be Happy?: The Japanese Way of Acceptance, Haas explores the concept of ukeireru, what it truly means to accept something and how the power of acceptance can help to build a happier and healthier life.
When it comes to studying the Stoics, Seneca is often cited as one of the most prolific because of the number of works he produced and the sources about his life. A complicated man, Seneca was a proud Stoic who often lived at odds with the philosophy he claimed to love under the corrupt regime of Nero.
Was Seneca a philosopher who sought the simple life? Was he a hypocrite who failed to practice what he preached? Was he a man who found himself in an impossible situation and did the best he could to mitigate the excesses of an emperor? Was he all of these things and more?
Such questions are the topic of Emily Wilson’s Seneca: A Life, which provides a nuanced portrayal of one of antiquity’s most complex figures.
For people with an interest in Stoicism and philosophy, the Roman power broker and politician Seneca looms large. His writing offers great insight into the mind of someone who was attempting to put the philosophy into practice, while also serving as a will and testament of a man who was guilty of falling short of what he preached at times.
Letters From A Stoic contains all 124 of the letters Seneca wrote to his friend Lucilius. The book would benefit anyone who wants to pick up a bit of wisdom or change their perception of the world.
Continue reading “Letters From A Stoic Review: Inside The Mind Of Seneca And Learning Stoic Wisdom”
