Plain
Seneca — The Senator

It's wrong to harm your country. So it's also wrong to harm any of your fellow citizens, because each citizen is part of the country. If the whole is sacred, then the parts must be sacred too. Therefore it's also wrong to harm any human being. Every person is your fellow citizen in the larger community of humanity. What if your hands decided to hurt your feet? Or your eyes decided to hurt your hands? All our body parts work together because the whole body benefits when each part stays healthy. In the same way, people should protect each other, because we were born to live together. But society can only work if it protects and cares for all its members.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 31 Book 2 · 85 of 103
Doing The Right Thing Human Nature
Seneca — The Senator Original

It is a crime to injure one's country: so it is, therefore, to injure any of our countrymen, for he is a part of our country; if the whole be sacred, the parts must be sacred too. Therefore it is also a crime to injure any man: for he is your fellow-citizen in a larger state. What, if the hands were to wish to hurt the feet? or the eyes to hurt the hands? As all the limbs act in unison, because it is the interest of the whole body to keep each one of them safe, so men should spare one another, because they are born for society. The bond of society, however, cannot exist unless it guards and loves all its members.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 31 Book 2 · 85 of 103
Seneca — The Senator

Think about how ugly and awful it is to hurt others. This goes against human nature. Our kindness can even tame wild animals. Look how bulls accept the yoke. Elephants let children and women dance safely on their backs. Snakes slide harmlessly across our chests and around our cups. Bears and lions in their dens let us pet them with gentle mouths. Wild beasts show affection to their masters. We should be ashamed that we act worse than wild animals.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 31 Book 2 · 84 of 103
Human Nature Doing The Right Thing
Seneca — The Senator Original

Think, above all, how base and hateful is the power of doing mischief, and how unnatural in man, by whose kindness even fierce animals are rendered tame. See how bulls yield their necks to the yoke, how elephants allow boys and women to dance on their backs unhurt, how snakes glide harmlessly over our bosoms and among our drinking-cups, how within their dens bears and lions submit to be handled with complacent mouths, and wild beasts fawn upon their master: let us blush to have exchanged habits with wild beasts.

On Anger, Book 2, Section 31 Book 2 · 84 of 103
‹ Previous Next ›

Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

About · Support