Žmogus Senekos etikos sistemoje

Abstract

Based on the letters of ancient Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, first of all “Letters to Lucilius” and using the analytical and comparative methods, the article highlights the original ethical system of this thinker, who puts personality in the center. The ethical problems have been topical during all times, especially at the time of spiritual crisis. Seneca first of all cared about the didactical side of ethics. We will not find any theoretical considerations about good, evil, beauty or happiness as philosophical categories of ethics in the “Letters to Lucilius”. Seneca undertakes pure theory as if unwillingly, only asked by Lucilius. However, Seneca’s philosophical legacy does not become less valuable. His philosophical traditions were continued by famous thinkers of later times. In case of spiritual crisis, both Seneca and Machiavelli (each in their own way) advise human – their companion – to assess properly the ones, with whom they have to communicate. The baseline of both thinkers is proper assessment of people, with whom they communicate. Both of them start with real and not with ideal person. The “Letters to Lucilius” and Kant’s works dedicated to ethics touch the human essence, which is not subordinate to time, and they analyze same problems of human existence. Thus, it is possible to consider their attitudes being somehow related; maybe because both thinkers were close to Christianity what regard ethics. Seneca distinguished two sources of good – one is in the world, i.e. universal, and the other hides inside the human, i.e. his soul. Finally, the good born in human soul joins the primary, divine one. Christianity has become the foundation of European thinking and lifestyle during last two thousand years. Despite how different the thinkers are – Thomas of Aquin, Machiavelli, Kant – all of them were thinking about Christianity and they were thinking in the Christian way. [...]