Reappropriation of time and of the self in Seneca’s first letter

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Capa do número 48 da revista O que nos faz pensar
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Published: Jun 30, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32334/oqnfp.2021n48a718
Keywords:
Seneca, stoicism, time, Letters to Lucilius

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André Alonso
Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) / Universidade Feeral do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

Abstract

Seneca writes his Letters to Lucilius towards the end of his life. In the 124 extant letters, he deals with different subjects, most of which have a substantial connection with every man’s existential dramas, so that we could recognize the human condition as the letters’ main topic. The short opening letter is about saving time. He explains that time is our most valuable commodity and shows the different ways we are deprived from its possession. Using a series of imperatives, as would a physician in a prescription, he urges his pupil to take control of the time he has been deprived of. In this paper, I analyze the first letter and show how Seneca considers time the most essential matter of a philosophical transformation of human life. I argue that in this letter he establishes a plan of Lucilius philosophical healing through the recovery of lost time and that, according to his views, control of time is the first step to the control of the self.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 29 No. 48 (2021): No. 48: June 2021
Section
Articles

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Author Biography

André Alonso, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) / Universidade Feeral do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

Possui graduação em Direito pela Universidade Federal Fluminense (1993), graduação em Filosofia (Bacharelado) pela Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (1994), graduação em Filosofia (Licenciatura) pela Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (1993), mestrado em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1998), mestrado em Filosofia (Diplôme D'études Approfondies) - Université Catholique de Louvain (2000) e doutorado em Filosofia e Letras - Université Catholique de Louvain (2004). Atualmente é professor associado IV da Universidade Federal Fluminense e professor do Programa de Pós-graduação em Filosofia (PPGF) da UFRJ. Atua principalmente nos seguintes temas: letras clássicas, filosofia antiga, filosofia medieval, paleografia latina, crítica textual.

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