Plain
Seneca — The Senator

This person will do whatever pleasure tells him to do. Don't you see how many bad things pleasure might advise? "But pleasure combined with virtue can't give bad advice," our opponent says. Don't you see how pathetic this makes your highest good? It needs a bodyguard just to stay good! How can virtue rule pleasure if virtue has to follow pleasure around? The follower takes orders. The commander gives them. Are you really putting the thing that should command in second place? According to your philosophy, virtue's grand job is just to taste-test pleasures first.

On the Happy Life, Section 11 36 of 101
Doing The Right Thing Freedom & Control
Seneca — The Senator Original

He will do whatever pleasure advises him: well, do you not see how many things it will advise him to do? "It will not," says our adversary, "be able to give him any bad advice, because it is combined with virtue?" Again, do you not see what a poor kind of highest good that must be which requires a guardian to ensure its being good at all? and how is virtue to rule pleasure if she follows it, seeing that to follow is the duty of a subordinate, to rule that of a commander? do you put that which commands in the background? According to your school, virtue has the dignified office of preliminary taster of pleasures.

On the Happy Life, Section 11 36 of 101
Seneca — The Senator

When I say I do nothing for pleasure's sake, I'm talking about the wise person — the only one you think can truly enjoy pleasure. But I don't call anyone wise if they're conquered by anything, especially by pleasure. If someone is consumed by pleasure, how will they resist hard work, danger, poverty, and all the troubles that surround human life? How will they face death or pain? How will they handle the chaos of the world and fight against so many powerful enemies, if they're already defeated by such a weak opponent?

On the Happy Life, Section 11 35 of 101
Knowing Yourself Facing Hardship
Seneca — The Senator Original

When I say that I do nothing for the sake of pleasure, I allude to that wise man, whom alone you admit to be capable of pleasure: now I do not call a man wise who is overcome by anything, let alone by pleasure: yet, if engrossed by pleasure, how will he resist toil, danger, want, and all the ills which surround and threaten the life of man? How will he bear the sight of death or of pain? How will he endure the tumult of the world, and make head against so many most active foes, if he be conquered by so effeminate an antagonist?

On the Happy Life, Section 11 35 of 101
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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