On the Shortness of Life

Name: On the Shortness of Life
Brand: Author's Republic
Availability: InStock
Author: Seneca
ISBN: 9781518916632

Author: Seneca

Narrator: Victor Craig

Unabridged: 1 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Author's Republic

Published: 03/06/2020

Categories: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Metaphysics

Synopsis

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, known as Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC – AD 65), is the author of ‘On the Shortness of Life (c. 49 AD).’ In it, Seneca draws insight from different streams of ancient wisdom: Stoic, Epicurean, Platonic, Skeptic and Cynic, as he addresses some of the important questions humans face. Seneca encourages people to be mindful of time and to use it purposefully. He suggests awareness and acceptance as a remedy for many worries and wasteful dissipations. We need to be aware of how we spend our time, and ideally, plan to spend it wisely. Acceptance of death is necessary for peace of mind, and will, in turn, make us appreciate our limited time all the more. Chapters 2 to 9 survey the many ways in which life is squandered and time frittered away by people who are preoccupied by pointless pursuits. Chapters 10 to 17 contrast the philosophical approach to leisure (with the deluded common approach. This culminates in chapters 18 to 20 that show the emancipation of the wise, who can soar above the lives of those mired in preoccupation.

About Seneca

Seneca (c. 4 BC-65 AD) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist. As a writer Seneca is known for his philosophical works, and for his plays, which are all tragedies.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Glenn on December 02, 2024

The great Roman philosopher, statesman, dramatist Seneca (BC 4 – AD 64) wrote many letters encouraging friends to apply themselves to the task of living a free, wise, tranquil and joyful life. On the Shortness of Life is one of my personal favorites since Seneca, ever the true eclectic, brilliantly......more

Goodreads review by Bill on July 06, 2019

Now that I've read a few philosophical essays by Seneca the Younger, I am inclined to believe every bad thing I have ever heard about him. Before this, I've cut him some slack. Sure, he—along with his cronies, one of whom was Burrus, prefect of the Praetorian Guard—ruled Rome during his pupil Nero's......more

Goodreads review by Samra on October 21, 2018

"Can anything be more idiotic than certain people who boast of their foresight? They keep themselves officiously preoccupied in order to improve their lives; they spend their lives in organizing their lives. They direct their purposes with an eye to a distant future. But putting things off is the bi......more

Goodreads review by Abubakar on November 08, 2015

This is an excellent philosophical essay written by Seneca, one of the most significant Roman philosophers and one whom we might call the father of Stoicism. The problem is simple, we are never content and happy with our lives and at the end we think it was too short. The solution is even simpler; w......more

Goodreads review by Mark on April 03, 2022

I am writing this review as a layperson, Philosophy isn’t my area of expertise and my level of knowledge is limited at best. I ended up here, as I’ve been researching Rome for an upcoming holiday. I’ve taken an interest in that crazy gang of early Roman Emperors from Augustus to Nero (i.e. the Julio......more