Temperantia, Golden Mean of Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic. Cover Image

Temperantia, Golden Mean of Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic.
Temperantia, Golden Mean of Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic.

Author(s): Dominika Budzanowska-Weglenda
Subject(s): Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: philosophy; Stoicism; virtue; temperance (moderation); desires; Seneca the Younger.

Summary/Abstract: Seneca’s philosophical writings concern a virtue, among others also the virtues of justice, temperance (ormoderation), fortitude and prudence. They are four virtues from the time of St. Ambrose called cardinal.Seneca gives this definition of the virtue temperantia: “cupiditates refrenare” – to confine one’s desires.So the temperance is practising self-control, abstention and moderation. Seneca discuses it very often in awider context of the different virtues, with which it’s tightly connected according to a stoical idea of the inseparability of the virtues. He claims that we have to learn virtue. Seneca reminds that life is not easy andonly the indications of the philosophy concerning virtue preserve from the unjust fortune.

  • Issue Year: XXVII/2017
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 73-102
  • Page Count: 30
  • Language: English