Seneca and Stoicism

About the lecture

In this module, we think the figure of Seneca and the key principles of Stoicism, focusing in particular on: (i) Seneca's life and times, and his relationship with the imperial family – especially Nero; (ii) the eclecticism of his literary output – tragedies, satires, philosophical treatises, letters, etc.; (iii) the extent to which love and relationships forms a central topic within Seneca's oeuvre; (iv) some of the key principles of Stoicism: the theory of 'indifferents', the importance of acting in accordance with nature (secundum naturam), and the importance of rationality; and (v) the 'cosmopolitanism' of Stoicism, i.e. the belief that every single person no matter who they are has an equal potential for rationality.

About the lecturer

Dr Liz Gloyn is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research focuses on the intersections between Latin literature, ancient philosophy and gender studies, with a particular focus on Seneca the Younger and his approach to Stoicism and family. Her previous publications include The Ethics of the Family in Seneca (2017), while her current book project explores the way that contemporary popular culture imagines and uses classical monsters, and will be published 2019.