De Providentia
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De Providentia ("On Providence") is a short essay in the form of a dialogue in six brief sections, written by the Latin philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, "Seneca the Younger" (died AD 65) in the last years of his life. He chose the dialogue form (as in the well-known Plato's works) to deal with the problem of the co-existence of the stoic design of providence with the evil in the world.
The dialogue is opened by Lucilius complaining with his friend Seneca that adversities and misfortunes can happen to good men too. How can this fit with the goodness connected with the design of providence? Seneca answers according to the stoic point of view. Nothing actually bad can happen to the good men (the wise man) because opposites don't mix. What looks like adversity is in fact a means by which the man exerts his virtues. As such, he can come out of the ordeal stronger than before.
So, in perfect sintony with the stoicism philosophy, Seneca explains that the truly wise man can never surrender in the face of misfortunes but as he will always go through them and even if he should fall he will continue fighting on his knees ("si cecidit de genu pugnat"). The wise man understands the destiny and his design and so he has nothing to fear from the future; but he has neither nothing to hope because he already has everything he needs: his good behaviour.
The conclusion is that actually nothing bad happens to good men if we understand what bad means: bad for the wise man would be have bad thoughts, to do crimes to desire money or fame. Who always behaves wisely already has all the good possible.
External links
- [De Providentia] (Latin text)
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