Episode 27: Death With Dignity
For Seneca, several central thoughts on death with dignity appear through his letters: use your time well while you still can and don't let life pass you by for life is short and chance can drastically alter or end your life; we should be prepared to end our lives when reason dictates it; living nobly is more important than living a long life – quality is more important than quantity; death can offer us freedom from a life not worth living; and we should do our best to die gladly. It's important to note that although Stoic writers encourage ending our lives early in some situations, committing suicide, we should not do so haphazardly; Stoic writers would only encourage suicide in special circumstances after reasoned deliberation. The Stoic Philosophy Podcast explores the tradition of Stoicism with goals to inform, empower, and help others benefit from practical wisdom of Ancient Greek, Roman, and modern thinkers including Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. For the Stoics, a main focus is pursuing virtue to attain a well-examined life through practical applications of Philosophy – acting with good character, using reason to form accurate careful judgments about the world, and achieving contentment. Stoic writers focus on many perennial human concerns and urge people to take action applying what they learn to everyday life. Self-improvement is central to Stoic thought – strengthening and improving one's mindset. Support through Patreon and Paypal Donate: http://justinvacula.com/donate/ Like, share, subscribe! Find Justin Vacula online and listen to past content: Main website: http://www.justinvacula.com SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/justinvacula iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-philosophy/id1264404483 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/justinvacula Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/justin-vacula/stoic-philosophy Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/justinvacula Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justinvacula Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/justinvacula Epictetus' Discourses: https://www.amazon.com/Discourses-Epictetus-Handbook-Fragments-Everymans/dp/0460873121/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478049820&sr=8-2&keywords=epictetus+discourses Marcus Aurelius' Meditations: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Thrift-Editions-Marcus-Aurelius/dp/048629823X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493590216&sr=8-1&keywords=marcus+aurelius+meditations Seneca's Letters to a Stoic https://www.amazon.com/Senecas-Letters-Stoic-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486811247/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493590249&sr=8-3&keywords=seneca+letters+from+a+stoic Stoic Philosophy – Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.iep.utm.edu/stoicism/ Massimo Pigliucci's Stoicism blog: https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com/ Stoic Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Stoicism/ Suicide essay mentioned in podcast on Modern Stoicism Stoicism Today website: http://modernstoicism.com/stoicism-and-suicide-by-justin-vacula/