Letters on Ethics

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What Hacker News says

• kashyapc · Jun 23, 2021 · Recommends

  Unless you absolutely cannot afford to, I firmly suggest to invest in a solid English translation. A bad translation is a deal breaker. For Seneca's works, I recommend these: → 'Letters on Ethics' (University of Chicago Press) – I consider this to be the definitive English translation; it's done by two of the foremost scholars: Margaret Graver and A. A. Long. This has the full set of 124 letters.…

  on “How to Think about Pleasure” ↗
• kashyapc · Apr 26, 2020 · Recommends

  …thoughts is one of the most remarkable testimonies to the power and applicability of Epictetus' words.") The quality of the English translation matters a lot. Here are my recommendations: • Seneca: Letters on Ethics — translation by Margaret Graver and A. A. Long. This is the most recent translation, reads extremely well, outstanding notes, and wonderfully typeset. It's translated by the current foremost experts;…

  on “Psychological techniques to practice Stoicism” ↗
• ashark · Nov 28, 2017 · Recommends

  …the last few years. Good, if a bit expensive. May be some on the used market by now. Hardship and Happiness would probably be the most useful one if you're looking for his work on Stoicism, followed by Letters on Ethics, then Anger, Mercy, Revenge. They may eventually do a one or two volume "best of" compilation as sometimes publishers do when they release these long, expensive series, and maybe paperback editions. Dunno.…

  on “What the Stoics did for us” ↗
• ljw1001 · Mar 5, 2018 · Recommends

  Seneca's Letters on Ethics is wonderful, also. Such an extraordinary writer, and such a lovely edition. https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Ethics-Lucilius-Complete-Anna...

  on “Ask HN: How to stop feeling depressed about whether you will be successful?” ↗
• kashyapc · Jul 1, 2020 · Recommends

  We'll also do well by taking a leaf from the Stoics, who wrote only 2000+ years ago ... on the importance of "prerehearsal of future ills". The meaning of it is explained in a note (24.2) from Seneca's Letters on Ethics (the full collection of 124 letters; excellently translated by Graver and Long): "The advice to reflect on all possible misfortunes is not meant to license groundless worry but rather to afford an accurate…

  on “The world should think better about catastrophic and existential risks” ↗
• kashyapc · Sep 7, 2020 · Mentions

  …moment?" — Seneca • "Think about arranging the present as best as you can, with serene mind. All else is carried away as by a river." — Horace ••• Sources for quotations: Seneca's 'Letters on Ethics' (full set of letters, excellently translated by Graver and Long); the others are from 'What is Ancient Philosophy?' by Pierre Hadot.

  on “At 31, I have just weeks to live. Here's what I want to pass on” ↗