I prefer, however, that our conversation on matters so important should not be meagre and dry; for even philosophy does not renounce the company of cleverness. One should not, however, bestow very much attention upon mere words.
Let this be the kernel of my idea: let us say what we feel, and feel what we say; let speech harmonize with life. That man has fulfilled his promise who is the same person both when you see him and when you hear him. We shall not fail to see what sort of man he is and how large a man he is, if only he is one and the same. Our words should aim not to please, but to help.
If, however, you can attain eloquence without painstaking, and if you either are naturally gifted or can gain eloquence at slight cost, make the most of it and apply it to the noblest uses. But let it be of such a kind that it displays facts rather than itself. It and the other arts are wholly concerned with cleverness; but our business here is the soul.
Let this be the kernel of my idea: let us say what we feel, and feel what we say; let speech harmonize with life. That man has fulfilled his promise who is the same person both when you see him and when you hear him. We shall not fail to see what sort of man he is and how large a man he is, if only he is one and the same. Our words should aim not to please, but to help.
If, however, you can attain eloquence without painstaking, and if you either are naturally gifted or can gain eloquence at slight cost, make the most of it and apply it to the noblest uses. But let it be of such a kind that it displays facts rather than itself. It and the other arts are wholly concerned with cleverness; but our business here is the soul.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 75
No one likes to hear it, but what usually passes for philosophy, and for academics in general, is merely an exercise in rhetoric, not the pursuit of wisdom. Though you know this full well if you’ve ever been an insider, it’s considered bad form to reveal the trade secrets. This is sadly what happens once a vocation is demoted to a profession.
There is, of course, no reason why philosophy can’t also be charged with style, and yet the temptation will be to hide behind the appearances, to tickle the passions instead of inspiring the mind. The words are only as good as the reality to which they point: it will take a strong fellow to keep his priorities straight in the ivy-covered halls.
So I now I tend to mind my own business, happy to let others sell their products. I regularly turn to the advice of Socrates, to be the same man in public as in private, to let my speech be mirrored in my deeds, to seek out conviction over convenience. I’m afraid I have failed if I simply amuse or flatter you, because any real benefit I might offer should probably leave you a bit unsettled.
I note the difference between those who were just paid to train me and those who asked for nothing to serve as an example—the key was always in how they lived when they didn’t think anyone else looking. It was the hard lessons that made a difference, often taking years to sink in, while the easy platitudes are now long forgotten.
Your mileage may vary, but I have learned to admire the eloquence of both Oscar Wilde and G.K Chesterton, even as I do not discern the evidence of character in the former as I do in the latter. This is probably why I allow myself to be irritated by those who copy Chesterton’s mannerisms without practicing any of his principles, when it should really be enough for me to tend to my own soul.
I will carefully listen to your orations, but then you will find me observing your actions all the more carefully, to see if you are one man or many. I would be honored for you to do the same for me.
No one likes to hear it, but what usually passes for philosophy, and for academics in general, is merely an exercise in rhetoric, not the pursuit of wisdom. Though you know this full well if you’ve ever been an insider, it’s considered bad form to reveal the trade secrets. This is sadly what happens once a vocation is demoted to a profession.
There is, of course, no reason why philosophy can’t also be charged with style, and yet the temptation will be to hide behind the appearances, to tickle the passions instead of inspiring the mind. The words are only as good as the reality to which they point: it will take a strong fellow to keep his priorities straight in the ivy-covered halls.
So I now I tend to mind my own business, happy to let others sell their products. I regularly turn to the advice of Socrates, to be the same man in public as in private, to let my speech be mirrored in my deeds, to seek out conviction over convenience. I’m afraid I have failed if I simply amuse or flatter you, because any real benefit I might offer should probably leave you a bit unsettled.
I note the difference between those who were just paid to train me and those who asked for nothing to serve as an example—the key was always in how they lived when they didn’t think anyone else looking. It was the hard lessons that made a difference, often taking years to sink in, while the easy platitudes are now long forgotten.
Your mileage may vary, but I have learned to admire the eloquence of both Oscar Wilde and G.K Chesterton, even as I do not discern the evidence of character in the former as I do in the latter. This is probably why I allow myself to be irritated by those who copy Chesterton’s mannerisms without practicing any of his principles, when it should really be enough for me to tend to my own soul.
I will carefully listen to your orations, but then you will find me observing your actions all the more carefully, to see if you are one man or many. I would be honored for you to do the same for me.
—Reflection written in 10/2013
IMAGE: Artemisia Gentileschi, Allegory of Rhetoric (c. 1650)
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