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Moral Letters Vol II

Seneca

§ Section 32

On liberal and vocational studies

88:32

Book Subtitle: Seneca's timeless letters of advice and wisdom.

Book Description: The second volume of Seneca's moral letters to Lucilius. Each letter contains Seneca's advice and wisdom won from a life of Roman politics.

32.

We might even make the statement that it is possible to attain wisdom without the “liberal studies”; for although virtue is a thing that must be learned, yet it is not learned by means of these studies.

What reason have I, however, for supposing that one who is ignorant of letters will never be a wise man, since wisdom is not to be found in letters?

Wisdom communicates facts and not words; and it may be true that the memory is more to be depended upon when it has no support outside itself.