Seneca,

I think this is the first time we’ve had a clear discussion about the προηγμένα, or “preferred indifferents.”  I lean more and more to Aristo’s position.

The προηγμένα are the crux of the issue with modern Stoicism, it’s tiny edge of the two ton wedge cleaving open the doctrine.  For instance, I saw a post this week where someone said they were well acquainted with Stoic practice, “I apply the trichotomy!”

This ‘trichotomy,’ the weakening of virtue, and blatant ignoring of the gestalt whole that was the school, and the (frankly) strange revisionist white-washing of the ancients to fit modern biases hinges I believe on this start of preferred indifferents.

There is no more a confused topic than this one.

Farewell.

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