All people are “flawed”... many lesser ‘thinkers’ find fault with Cicero, and Seneca, as humans. I only judge them, if at all, by the words in writings attributed to them-and ‘like’ them both, immensely. Anyway, as a very collapsed Catholic-from choir, alter boy to basically a non-believer of any deity, I think I agree with Cicero’s take here- the “soul” is in my view what modernity would term synonymous with consciousness...something no one really knows what it is- but know when they/I see it. :)
I think the Christian view is more Jewish than Platonic. It involves recreation of the soul as well as the Universe since as you say from a naturalist position everything rises, endures and dies. This doesn't affect the Buddhist position either since the Buddha transcended nature. If God can create the Universe, he can recreate it in a better way. Why? I don't know.
Thank you for summarising Cicero's first chapter of the Tusculan Disputations Massimo. I must admit that at this beginnng stage of my Stoic studies, I found it very convoluted so skipped on to chapter 2.
Appreciated: I know much less of this than you (on these subjects) my 'study', hardly study at all, haphazard with bits and pieces over a lifetime. But overall, I had a positive (justified or not) view of Cicero until I read Hudson's book The Collapse of Antiquity. As background, I have a degree in economics, I pounded nails, and designed houses, skied and sailed, road bikes up mountains, and spent a life outdoors in athletic pastimes. www.heiningerbuildingdesign.com, wrote one novel and am finishing a 2nd, now that my body is breaking down. Thanks.
All people are “flawed”... many lesser ‘thinkers’ find fault with Cicero, and Seneca, as humans. I only judge them, if at all, by the words in writings attributed to them-and ‘like’ them both, immensely. Anyway, as a very collapsed Catholic-from choir, alter boy to basically a non-believer of any deity, I think I agree with Cicero’s take here- the “soul” is in my view what modernity would term synonymous with consciousness...something no one really knows what it is- but know when they/I see it. :)
I think the Christian view is more Jewish than Platonic. It involves recreation of the soul as well as the Universe since as you say from a naturalist position everything rises, endures and dies. This doesn't affect the Buddhist position either since the Buddha transcended nature. If God can create the Universe, he can recreate it in a better way. Why? I don't know.
That's good to know. Thank you Massimo.
Thank you for summarising Cicero's first chapter of the Tusculan Disputations Massimo. I must admit that at this beginnng stage of my Stoic studies, I found it very convoluted so skipped on to chapter 2.
Appreciated: I know much less of this than you (on these subjects) my 'study', hardly study at all, haphazard with bits and pieces over a lifetime. But overall, I had a positive (justified or not) view of Cicero until I read Hudson's book The Collapse of Antiquity. As background, I have a degree in economics, I pounded nails, and designed houses, skied and sailed, road bikes up mountains, and spent a life outdoors in athletic pastimes. www.heiningerbuildingdesign.com, wrote one novel and am finishing a 2nd, now that my body is breaking down. Thanks.