Title: The social, therapeutic and didactic dimension of shame in Seneca's thinking
Source document: Pro-Fil. 2023, vol. 24, iss. 1, pp. 13-22
Extent
13-22
-
ISSN1212-9097 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/pf23-1-33840
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/digilib.79829
Type: Article
Language
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
Rights access
open access
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
This paper analyses the problem of shame in the thinking of Lucius Annaeus Seneca. The authors examine this problem primarily in two contexts. The first, social meaning, understands shame as an emotion that appears during a conflict between a person's "self" and social norms. Seneca mainly tackles this question concerning providing "benefits" (beneficia) in his On Benefits and eighty-first letter of Moral Epistles. The second therapeutic and didactic meaning utilises shame as an instrument to manage some illnesses of the mind (for example, anger). Moreover, to educate a "Stoic disciple" (proficiens), deliberate exposure to shame in public marks one of the important techniques to near the perfect ideal of "the wise man" (sapiens) and to prepare oneself for service in public office. Especially in Moral Epistles, we find a detailed description of this didactic approach and the limiting factors to using this technique.
Note
The paper was supported by grant VEGA č. 1/0020/21 The Evolution of the Concept of Shame in the Ancient and Contemporary Moral Philosophy with an Accent on Its Ethical Functions.
References
[1] Cepko, J. (2023): Hanba, zázračný prsteň a Platónov Sokrates, Filozofia, 78 (4), 259–272. | DOI 10.31577/filozofia.2023.78.4.2
[2] Cicero (1999): On the Commonwealth and On the Laws, Edited by James E. G. Zetzel, Cambridge University Press.
[3] De Lacy, H. P. (1977): The Four Stoic Personae, Illinois Classical Studies, 2, 163–172.
[4] Gellius (1927): Attic Nights, Volume I: Books 1-5, Translated by J. C. Rolfe, Harvard University Press.
[5] Gellius (1927): Attic Nights, Volume III: Books 14-20, Translated by J. C. Rolfe, Harvard University Press.
[6] Glare, P. G. W. (ed.) (1968): Oxford Latin Dictionary, Oxford University Press.
[7] Griffin, M. (2003): De Beneficiis and Roman Society, The Journal of Roman Studies, 93, 92–113.
[8] Kamtekar, R. (1998): ΑΙΔΩΣ in Epictetus, Classical Philology, 93 (2), 136–160.
[9] Kaster, R. A. (1997): The Shame of the Romans, Transactions of the American Philological Association, 127, 1–19.
[10] Kaster, R. A. (2005): Emotion, Restraint, and Community in Ancient Rome, Oxford University Press.
[11] Konstan, D. (2003): Shame in Ancient Greece, Social Research, 70 (4), 1031–1060.
[12] Konstan, D. (2006): The Emotions of the Ancient Greeks: Studies in Aristotle and Classical Literature, University of Toronto Press.
[13] Livy (1922): History of Rome, Volume II: Books 3-4, Translated by B. O. Foster, Harvard University Press.
[14] Pliny (1940): Natural History, Volume III: Books 8-11, Translated by H. Rackham, Harvard University Press.
[15] Porubjak, M. (2023): Why Did Theognis Not Leave Respect and Retribution in His "Hope Elegy"?, Filozofia, 78 (4), 245–258. | DOI 10.31577/filozofia.2023.78.4.1
[16] Richardson-Hay, Ch. (2006): First Lessons. Book 1 of Seneca's Epistulae Morales – A Commentary, Peter Lang.
[17] Rosivach, J. V. (1995): Seneca on the Fear of Poverty in the Epistulae Morales, L'Antiquité Classique, 64, 91–98. | DOI 10.3406/antiq.1995.1218
[18] Sellars, J. (2014): Context: Seneca's Philosophical Predecessors and Contemporaries, in Damschen, G., Heil, A. (eds.) Brill's Companion to Seneca, Brill, 97–112. | DOI 10.1163/9789004217089_007
[19] Seneca (1917): Epistles, Volume I: Epistles 1-65, Translated by Richard M. Gummere, Harvard University Press.
[20] Seneca (1920): Epistles, Volume II: Epistles 66-92, Translated by Richard M. Gummere, Harvard University Press.
[21] Seneca (1925): Epistles, Volume III: Epistles 93-124, Translated by Richard M. Gummere, Harvard University Press.
[22] Seneca (1928): Moral Essays, Volume I: De Providentia. De Constantia. De Ira. De Clementia, Translated by John W. Basore, Harvard University Press.
[23] Seneca (1932): Moral Essays, Volume II: De Consolatione ad Marciam. De Vita Beata. De Otio. De Tranquillitate Animi. De Brevitate Vitae. De Consolatione ad Polybium. De Consolatione ad Helviam, Translated by John W. Basore, Harvard University Press. | DOI 10.4159/dlcl.seneca_younger-de_consolatione_ad_polybium.1932
[24] Seneca (2011): On Benefits, Translated by Miriam Griffin and Brad Inwood, The University of Chicago Press.
[25] Seneca (2018): Tragedies, Volume I: Hercules. Trojan Women. Phoenician Women. Medea. Phaedra, Edited and translated by John G. Fitch, Harvard University Press.
[26] Stoicorum veterum fragmenta I-IV (1921 – 1923): Collegit Ioannes ab Arnim, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri.
[27] Wollner, U. (2023): Funkcie hanby v Kalliklovej "otváracej reči" (Gorg. 482c4 – 486d1), Filozofia, 78 (4), 273–284. | DOI 10.31577/filozofia.2023.78.4.3
[28] Wray, D. (2015): Seneca's Shame, in Bartsch, S., Schiesaro, A. (eds.) The Cambridge Companion to Seneca, Cambridge University Press, 199–211.
[2] Cicero (1999): On the Commonwealth and On the Laws, Edited by James E. G. Zetzel, Cambridge University Press.
[3] De Lacy, H. P. (1977): The Four Stoic Personae, Illinois Classical Studies, 2, 163–172.
[4] Gellius (1927): Attic Nights, Volume I: Books 1-5, Translated by J. C. Rolfe, Harvard University Press.
[5] Gellius (1927): Attic Nights, Volume III: Books 14-20, Translated by J. C. Rolfe, Harvard University Press.
[6] Glare, P. G. W. (ed.) (1968): Oxford Latin Dictionary, Oxford University Press.
[7] Griffin, M. (2003): De Beneficiis and Roman Society, The Journal of Roman Studies, 93, 92–113.
[8] Kamtekar, R. (1998): ΑΙΔΩΣ in Epictetus, Classical Philology, 93 (2), 136–160.
[9] Kaster, R. A. (1997): The Shame of the Romans, Transactions of the American Philological Association, 127, 1–19.
[10] Kaster, R. A. (2005): Emotion, Restraint, and Community in Ancient Rome, Oxford University Press.
[11] Konstan, D. (2003): Shame in Ancient Greece, Social Research, 70 (4), 1031–1060.
[12] Konstan, D. (2006): The Emotions of the Ancient Greeks: Studies in Aristotle and Classical Literature, University of Toronto Press.
[13] Livy (1922): History of Rome, Volume II: Books 3-4, Translated by B. O. Foster, Harvard University Press.
[14] Pliny (1940): Natural History, Volume III: Books 8-11, Translated by H. Rackham, Harvard University Press.
[15] Porubjak, M. (2023): Why Did Theognis Not Leave Respect and Retribution in His "Hope Elegy"?, Filozofia, 78 (4), 245–258. | DOI 10.31577/filozofia.2023.78.4.1
[16] Richardson-Hay, Ch. (2006): First Lessons. Book 1 of Seneca's Epistulae Morales – A Commentary, Peter Lang.
[17] Rosivach, J. V. (1995): Seneca on the Fear of Poverty in the Epistulae Morales, L'Antiquité Classique, 64, 91–98. | DOI 10.3406/antiq.1995.1218
[18] Sellars, J. (2014): Context: Seneca's Philosophical Predecessors and Contemporaries, in Damschen, G., Heil, A. (eds.) Brill's Companion to Seneca, Brill, 97–112. | DOI 10.1163/9789004217089_007
[19] Seneca (1917): Epistles, Volume I: Epistles 1-65, Translated by Richard M. Gummere, Harvard University Press.
[20] Seneca (1920): Epistles, Volume II: Epistles 66-92, Translated by Richard M. Gummere, Harvard University Press.
[21] Seneca (1925): Epistles, Volume III: Epistles 93-124, Translated by Richard M. Gummere, Harvard University Press.
[22] Seneca (1928): Moral Essays, Volume I: De Providentia. De Constantia. De Ira. De Clementia, Translated by John W. Basore, Harvard University Press.
[23] Seneca (1932): Moral Essays, Volume II: De Consolatione ad Marciam. De Vita Beata. De Otio. De Tranquillitate Animi. De Brevitate Vitae. De Consolatione ad Polybium. De Consolatione ad Helviam, Translated by John W. Basore, Harvard University Press. | DOI 10.4159/dlcl.seneca_younger-de_consolatione_ad_polybium.1932
[24] Seneca (2011): On Benefits, Translated by Miriam Griffin and Brad Inwood, The University of Chicago Press.
[25] Seneca (2018): Tragedies, Volume I: Hercules. Trojan Women. Phoenician Women. Medea. Phaedra, Edited and translated by John G. Fitch, Harvard University Press.
[26] Stoicorum veterum fragmenta I-IV (1921 – 1923): Collegit Ioannes ab Arnim, in aedibus B. G. Teubneri.
[27] Wollner, U. (2023): Funkcie hanby v Kalliklovej "otváracej reči" (Gorg. 482c4 – 486d1), Filozofia, 78 (4), 273–284. | DOI 10.31577/filozofia.2023.78.4.3
[28] Wray, D. (2015): Seneca's Shame, in Bartsch, S., Schiesaro, A. (eds.) The Cambridge Companion to Seneca, Cambridge University Press, 199–211.