Monthly Archives: March 2016

CERP: Day 19 – To Hicetas and to Eugnesius

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VII. To Hicetas (p. 99)
We read a praising of the title ‘dog’, and of the cloak, small bag, and staff.  Ps-Diogenes write to his father, asking him to note that he is happy with little.  The argument to the Gods seems more of a Stoic sort than a Cynic one… this seems to be a trend in these Epistles.  Or maybe it’s just a Roman flavor?

VIII. To Eugnesius (p. 101)
I’m pretty sure Ps-Diogenes just dropped the mic, to the tune of NWA’s most famous song.

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This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

CERP: Day 18 – To Hipparchia, Antipater, Pediccas, and Crates.

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III. To Hipparchia (p. 95)
Interesting here that Hipparchia is shown as the student of Diogenes, and it even suggests that letters were a common and prized method of instruction.  Seneca argues the opposite in some of his Epistles, that while they are better than nothing, a face to face discussion is best for philosophical instruction.

IV. To Antipater (p. 95)
I can’t imagine Diogenes begging the pardon of any King, except he be a philosopher.

V. To Pediccas (p. 97)
The parallel between worldy enemies, and enemies of the self is an interesting one.  Yet, the Ps-Diogenes also presents a binary.  One is either concerned in the world of appearances, or one is concerned with the world of appearances (more formidable).  The world, or philosophy.  Pick one, and then do the thing.

VI. To Crates (p. 97)
Ah, the cup lesson.  This is one of my favorite stories of Diogenes.  That he sees someone (field hand, boy, etc) drinking with his hands and tosses away his cup.

I like the closing moral, that wisdom might be garnered in any place, and from any teacher:  even if the person is unaware that they are teaching.  We’re constant students, nonetheless.

 

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

SLRP: XLVIII. On Quibbling As Unworthy Of The Philosopher

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Seneca,

Your letter today has a sobering message.  Rather than the “intellectual masturbation” of handling certain logical problems, our focus on ourselves, and thence our aid to others, is about our manner of life.

Does handling The Liar instil self-control?  Not by itself.  I can see a case in which such sorts of academic works could be a spiritual discipline of sorts however that doesn’t often seem to be the case.

Thank you for letter.  I’m thinking on it quite a bit this morning.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

CERP: Day 17 – Introduction: The Epistles of Diogenes Part 2 (p. 17-18)

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Introduction: The Epistles of Diogenes Part 2 (p. 17-18)
The main thrust of this second part to the introduction sums up what we read yesterday, that the letters span a time period and were composed by three or four authors.  That the letters may have been a tool during a sort of proselytizing for the mode of life of the Cynic philosopher.

Looking forward to the coming letters.

I. To the Sinopians (p. 93)
Diogenes’ barb at the Sinopians is that while they sent him away, they are stuck with each other.  There does seem to be a hint of some sour grapes.  Diogenes should rather thank the Sinopians, as without his exile, would he have ever found philosophy?  Certainly not Antisthenes.

II. To Antisthenes (p. 93)
It’s a funny thing that calling someone a beet (τεῦτλον) might convert them to philosophy.  I am surprised to see that they might draw “their capes around themselves decently.”  That hardly smacks of the Diogenes who would do “manual labor,” as it were, in the agora.  More Roman revisionism, a more Stoic moral.

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

SLRP: XLVII. On Master And Slave (Part 2: 11 – 21)

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Seneca,

“I propose to value them according to their character, and not according to their duties. Each man acquires his character for himself, but accident assigns his duties.”

There is an important lesson here.  One which, as I think I mentioned yesterday about people who are rude to table servers.

““He is a slave.” His soul, however, may be that of a freeman. “He is a slave.” But shall that stand in his way? Show me a man who is not a slave; one is a slave to lust, another to greed, another to ambition, and all men are slaves to fear.”

I’m hung up on “may be that of a freeman.”  It’s my own position that every human has the soul of a freeman.  While there is perceived security or safety sometimes under the yoke, every heart yearns to be free.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

CERP: Day 16 – Introduction: The Epistles of Diogenes Part 1 (p. 14-16)

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Introduction: The Epistles of Diogenes Part 1 (p. 14-16)

Today, we’re simply laying the groundwork for the coming letters.  It’s standardly accepted amongst scholars that the letters are not the letters written by Diogenes of Sinope, as mentioned in DL.

Indeed, the letters appear to be written by four different authors, spanning a number of years.  I’m looking forward to these ones, specifically.

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.

SLRP: XLVII. On Master And Slave (Part 1: 1 – 10)

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Seneca,

Kindly remember that he whom you call your slave sprang from the same stock, is smiled upon by the same skies, and on equal terms with yourself breathes, lives, and dies. It is just as possible for you to see in him a free-born man as for him to see in you a slave.

The concept of slavery is pretty far removed from the minds of most westerners.  Even the poor among us, in terms of energy availability, live more wealthily than kings.  Running water, electric lights, hot food.

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I read somewhere that an elite athlete on a bicycle produces something like 420 watts.  That’s enough (only enough) to power 7 light bulbs.  That’s Tour de France level athlete.

Considering the amount of human energy it would take for us to use all the electronics (not even considering oil for vehicle!), each of us has or uses the energy output of a whole retinue of slaves.  So, maybe we have more to learn from Seneca’s position on slaves than we might at first think.

On a separate note, I’ve always thought poorly of folks who are rude to people in the service industry.  Whether it’s gas station attendants, landscapers, servers in restaurants, whatever.  It was simply part of my upbringing to look past the “work” and see the person behind it.  No shame in honest labor.

I suspect Seneca would also write to those, speaking of the brotherhood of man, our service under Fate, and reaping the wages of vice.

Yes, I think there are lessons in this piece for us, just as there were for Lucillius.

Farewell.

Part of Michel Daw’s Reading Plan of Seneca’s Letters.

CERP: Day 15 – To Aper, do well, and to Dinomachus

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XXXV. To Aper, do well (p. 89)
The Pseudo-Crates has two points which are worth highlighting.  First is the position which echos in Stoicism, that we are distressed when we fail to meet our desires or fail to avoid that to which we are averse.  Ps-Crates spells it out, that our desires are untenable, and our we are averse to those things which we necessarily must be exposed to.  This is problematic for us.

The second point, is that if the message of the philosopher speaks to us, being bent over a tome like to read the epic poets is not the way.  We must emulate those whom we admire, not merely study them.

Praxis.

XXXVI. To Dinomachus (p. 89)
Ps-Crates again beats us over the head with instructions in begging.  It seems to me this is a more important part of Cynic practice that I at first (or even at recent) suspected.

 

This is part of the Cynic Epistles Reading Plan.