Liberal Studies And Education Seneca Analysis

In, “Liberal Studies and Education,” by Seneca, the path to virtue is through the study of wisdom. The effects of virtue are illustrated through the characteristics of kindness, temperance and loyalty.
One achieves virtue when one studies wisdom. Wisdom is seen as a higher value according to Seneca. In the text Seneca states that, “…the study of wisdom, and that is lofty, brave, and great-souled,” indicating that the learning of wisdom values high importance to Seneca because it shows the dedication to undergo the pressure of attaining wisdom. Also, Seneca discusses the differences between learning the technical aspect of something versus the true meaning of something. For example Seneca states, “You know what a straight line is; but how does it benefit you if you do not know what is straight

in this life of ours?” showing how truly Seneca is towards the deep knowledge of any subject and not just the surface knowledge. Education is really important according to Seneca and he believes that education will bring true virtue. Seneca explains that many things, like education, are an, “aid to us and yet are not parts of ourselves,” showing that even though some people can’t receive an education it doesn’t mean that they can receive wisdom.
The effects of virtue are also significant. One effect of becoming virtuous is having kindness. Seneca believes in freedom and fairness for everybody and in order to transmit that to other people one must have a kind heart. By being kind it, “forbids you to be over-bearing towards your associates, and it forbids you to be grasping,” meaning that by being unselfish one can understand others and is able to carry out good intentions for the world. Not only can kindness make someone be charitable it also shows that kindness is, “…gentle and courteous to all men. It counts no evil in another’s solely,” which provides one’s understanding for the betterment of man-kind and not the harshness and cruelty that man-kind can easily portray. Although kindness is a difficult task to obtain and portray, Seneca sees being kind a true outcome of being virtuous.
Another effect of virtue is temperance.

For some people it’s very hard to maintain temperance because they’re unable to contain their desires. Seneca states, “Temperance controls our desires; some it hates and routs, other it regulates and restores to a healthy measure,” meaning if one is truly virtuous that their desires won’t get in the way of their priorities. By obtaining temperance people will be able to achieve control in their lives and never ‘fall off the wagon’ as the saying goes. According to Seneca, “Temperance knows the best measure of appetites is not what you want to take, but what you ought to take,” indicating by attaining temperance one can have self-control which is a characteristic of being virtuous. During Ulysses’ challenging journey he was able to constraint himself from the numerous trials such as the, “savage monsters that delight in human blood, on that side the treacherous allurements of the ear, and yonder is shipwreck and all the varied category of misfortunes,” which help show the strength it took for Ulysses to undergo those harsh confrontations and still maintain temperance which Seneca believes, Ulysses, is a virtuous character to

follow.
Another effect that is illustrated from virtue is loyalty. With Seneca loyalty is set to a very high standard because it shows someone’s true intentions. Seneca’s prime example of loyalty is once again Ulysses and even Seneca himself asks, “by the example of Ulysses how am I to love my country, my wife, my father, and how, even after suffering shipwreck, I am to sail toward these ends, honourable as they are,” shows how Ulysses was challenged consistently, but still managed to have devotion to things important in his life. One way to strengthen virtue, according to Seneca, is by being truthful and obedient to one’s priorities since it shows that, “Loyalty is the holiest good in the human heart,” which primarily indicates the willingness one is able to declare for the commitment to any circumstance.
In other words Seneca declares that some effects of virtue are kindness, temperance and loyalty which are obtained by the study of wisdom. By doing this Seneca has been able to set a path of virtue that one should intend to follow and maintain for betterment in their lives.