The Ethics of the Family in Seneca

by Liz Gloyn

This book is the first extensive study of the role of the family in the work of Seneca. It offers a new way of reading philosophy that combines philosophical analysis with social, cultural and historical factors to bring out the ways in which Stoicism presents itself as in tune with the universe. The family serves a central role in an individual's moral development - both the family as conventionally understood, and the wider conceptual family which Stoicism constructs. Innovative readings of Seneca's work bring out the importance of the family to his thought and how it interacts with other Stoic doctrines. We learn how to be virtuous from observing and imitating our family, who can be biological relatives or people we choose as our intellectual ancestors. The Ethics of the Family in Seneca will be of particular interest to researchers in Roman Stoicism, imperial culture and the history of the family.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2017

About the author

Liz Gloyn is Reader in Latin Language and Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. Her research interests beyond classical reception studies explore the intersection between Latin literature, the Roman family and ancient philosophy. She is the author of The Ethics of the Family in Seneca (2017).

Reviews

[Adam Slagell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a book for academics exploring new areas and putting forth a thesis, rather than a book for a practitioner of stoicism. As such, it was interesting to understand how certain stoic principles of learning and expanding your "in-group" (much like ethicists like Peter Signer advocate) supports the growth and learning of stoicism within the family.

The author explores this through mostly Seneca's letters, his consolations to the bereaved, and "On Benefits". Reading this book then gave me some additional insights about Seneca's writings and the historical background, but I wouldn't say this book has added a lot to my Stoic journey. Like I said, it is really about academically exploring a new angle of stoicism that has not received much attention, the family. I think I learned just as much about what the typical Roman view of the family was, and especially the Imperial Family, as I learned about Stoicism.