The first book in the essays of Seneca handles good and evil. The dialogue is definitely opened by Lucilius complaining along with his friend Seneca that adversities and misfortunes can occur to good guys too. How do this match the goodness connected with the look of providence? Seneca answers according to the Stoic perspective. Nothing actually bad can happen to the nice guy (the wise man) because opposites don’t mix. What looks like adversity is actually a means where the man exerts his virtues..Read More approximately Essays 1: Of Providence Therefore, he will come from the ordeal more powerful than before.

Therefore, in perfect harmony using the Stoic philosophy, Seneca explains how the truly wise man can never surrender in the face of misfortunes but mainly because he will always proceed through them as well as if he should fall he’ll continue fighting on his knees. The wise man understands destiny and its own design, and for that reason he has nothing at all to fear from the near future. Neither does he hope for anything, because he currently offers everything he needs – his good behaviour.

The final outcome is that actually nothing bad happens to good men. One simply has to know very well what bad means: bad for the wise guy is always to have bad thoughts, to commit offences, to desire money or popularity. Whoever behaves smartly already has all the good possible.

Translation by Aubrey Stewart and Produced by Vox Stoica

Seneca’s Essays Series:

1) Of Providence – addressed to Lucilius

2) For the Firmness of the Wise Man – addressed to Serenus

3,4,5) Of Anger (Books 1-3) – resolved to his brother Novatus

6) On Consolation – resolved to Marcia

7) Of a Happy Life – addressed to Gallio

8) Of Amusement – addressed to Serenus

9) On Tranquillity of Brain – attended to to Serenus

10) Within the shortness of existence – dealt with to Paulinus

11) On Consolation – tackled to Polybius

12) On consolation – addressed to Helvia