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Moral Letters Vol II

Seneca

§ Section 42

On liberal and vocational studies

88:42

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.

42.

I have been speaking so far of liberal studies; but think how much superfluous and unpractical matter the philosophers contain!

Of their own accord they also have descended to establishing nice divisions of syllables, to determining the true meaning of conjunctions and prepositions; they have been envious of the scholars, envious of the mathematicians.

They have taken over into their own art all the superfluities of these other arts; the result is that they know more about careful speaking than about careful living.