Secundum 'De Officiis' Part II: Ethics and Esthetics

Abstract

Following upon ( = Secundum) Cicero's next to last work Of Offices, this three-part series presents what Cicero would have lauded: a justification of the Roman ideal of voluntary service, under obligation. The office, at once moral and useful within the same functionality, becomes a composite inviting metaphysical, ethical, esthetic, legal and cultural considerations. In this paper, ethics and stewardship are defined and examined as to their role in the office; how they are alike yet different; how they variously express the Roman concept of office; how they relate to the classification of duties with respect to obligations of the office versus those to the office. Esthetics, while not definitionally required for the concept of office, is nonetheless shown to be a stewardship component which, if voluntary, is very helpful to both sorts of obligation.