Back to On the parts of philosophy

Moral Letters Vol II

Seneca

§ Section 12

On the parts of philosophy

89:12

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.

12.

The Cyrenaic school abolished the natural as well as the rational department, and were content with the moral side alone; and yet these philosophers also include under another title that which they have rejected.

For they divide moral philosophy into five parts: (1) What to avoid and what to seek, (2) The Passions, (3) Actions, (4) Causes, (5) Proofs.

Now the causes of things really belong to the “natural” division, the proofs to the “rational.”