Thanks. My also 80 yr old college room mate just mailed me a review of his favorite parts of Thucydides. He mentioned a comparison of Pericles bringing farmers into Athens, and compared it to Modi’s attempt to interfere with peasant farming. Pericles won, bulled the walled city fell to pestilence. Adam smith may believe in agrarian force, but he catered to the oligarchs of his time which had moved serfs off and moved to more profitable enterprises, sheep and capital. Athens wealth came from trade, and so did current wealth, trade and rising class of inventors and manufacturing
Great leaders like Pericles and Aurelius reach the joi polio by example and integrity
To be fair to Pericles, he moved farmers to Athens because they were under threat by the Spartans. Unfortunately for him, the plague came and killed lots of people in a crowded city, including Pericles himself.
Enjoy following. Glad still on e mail as Substack doesn’t allow two finger enlargement and macular degeneration makes letters hard
Yesterday I watched a discussion bt z Jacob Soll on his book the history of an idea. Adam Smith. Watson Institute of Brown. I’ve always told people they need to read him if he is their prophet. Few do. Long
Smith was a believer in agrarian economy even then the oligarchs who owned the land were moving peasants out and moving into more profitable adventures, sheep and cows. At one point he speculated on Smith’s religion and his friendship with Hume whose admission of atheism not financially rewarding. Soll noted that Smith was stoic and said the stoicism of Seneca,Cicero and Epictetus was for aristocrats, and Smith catered to them. The writer attached the French king most influential writer on the future of growth economy
Dick, I certainly agree that people who consider Smith their profit really ought to read him. They'd be surprised by what he actually says...
I never understood why some people think Stoicism is for aristocrats. Everyone can benefit from the basic philosophy, from slaves like Epictetus to emperors like Marcus.
I'm going to butcher the statistics but I recall reading an article that claimed that in 1950 roughly 80% of Americans died in their homes and 20% die in a hospital and that today those figures are pretty much reversed. I believe, unsurprisingly, the same statistics hold for birth as well.
While this reflects leaps ahead in medical care and access I'm sure, there is also something kind of unfortunate and terrifying about it. I feel like this makes death all the more frightening, cold, clinical. Modernity is full of trade offs, I suppose.
My wife and I have sometimes discussed the final disposition of our beloved dog (luckily he's only 7 and likely has many more good years, but nevertheless) and I've been adamant that if we need to end his life that I'll pay the extra money to have it done in our home because he hates the car and he hates the vet's office and so putting him through two things he hates as during his final hours seems cruel and disrespectful.
The same thing kind of occurs to me about dying in a hospital. I would gladly sacrifice a few weeks of my life if it meant I could die peacefully in my home surrounded by loved ones rather than in a sterile room surrounded by strangers. The thought is somehow far less frightening. Unfortunately I imagine dying in your home these days means you're very wealthy or very unlucky.
John, I'm afraid you are right. (I don't know the stats, but the general picture is on target.) Interesting how we can give a "humane" death to our beloved pets but not to our loved ones or ourselves.
"It makes sense, therefore, that we devoid thought and effort into getting ready. We don’t know when and how it will take place, only that it definitely will."
I think you meant 'devote' not 'devoid'; I'm more inclined to 'avoid'. It's not like I can do much about it -- delay a bit at best...
I'm new to Figs in Winter. This is my first issue. I'm glad I subscribed!
For the past couple years, I've been writing a book-length manuscript about death. Inevitably (I suppose) it led me to the early philosophers, particularly the stoics.
In this issue you've further educated me and prodded my thoughts.. Thank you.
Thank you for this article. I was talking to me family the other day about how the Stoics and Epicureans had a more civilized understanding of death than we do.
Thanks for this. It is a clear exposition of the issues surrounding the end of a person’s existence. Seneca has really defined issues and, in my opinion, his work cannot be improved upon. We presently live a world of distractions and have forgotten how to conduct meaningful deep thinking about important issues. It is unfortunate that most people in our society are not aware of this ancient thoughts on mortality and morality. Please continue, what I consider, this necessary work of re-introducing this ideas.
Glad you liked the post. Yes, I think it's going to be hard to improve on Seneca in this respect. And of course I agree that more people would benefit from an appreciation of the best that the ancient world had to offer.
Thanks. My also 80 yr old college room mate just mailed me a review of his favorite parts of Thucydides. He mentioned a comparison of Pericles bringing farmers into Athens, and compared it to Modi’s attempt to interfere with peasant farming. Pericles won, bulled the walled city fell to pestilence. Adam smith may believe in agrarian force, but he catered to the oligarchs of his time which had moved serfs off and moved to more profitable enterprises, sheep and capital. Athens wealth came from trade, and so did current wealth, trade and rising class of inventors and manufacturing
Great leaders like Pericles and Aurelius reach the joi polio by example and integrity
To be fair to Pericles, he moved farmers to Athens because they were under threat by the Spartans. Unfortunately for him, the plague came and killed lots of people in a crowded city, including Pericles himself.
Enjoy following. Glad still on e mail as Substack doesn’t allow two finger enlargement and macular degeneration makes letters hard
Yesterday I watched a discussion bt z Jacob Soll on his book the history of an idea. Adam Smith. Watson Institute of Brown. I’ve always told people they need to read him if he is their prophet. Few do. Long
Smith was a believer in agrarian economy even then the oligarchs who owned the land were moving peasants out and moving into more profitable adventures, sheep and cows. At one point he speculated on Smith’s religion and his friendship with Hume whose admission of atheism not financially rewarding. Soll noted that Smith was stoic and said the stoicism of Seneca,Cicero and Epictetus was for aristocrats, and Smith catered to them. The writer attached the French king most influential writer on the future of growth economy
Dick, I certainly agree that people who consider Smith their profit really ought to read him. They'd be surprised by what he actually says...
I never understood why some people think Stoicism is for aristocrats. Everyone can benefit from the basic philosophy, from slaves like Epictetus to emperors like Marcus.
I'm going to butcher the statistics but I recall reading an article that claimed that in 1950 roughly 80% of Americans died in their homes and 20% die in a hospital and that today those figures are pretty much reversed. I believe, unsurprisingly, the same statistics hold for birth as well.
While this reflects leaps ahead in medical care and access I'm sure, there is also something kind of unfortunate and terrifying about it. I feel like this makes death all the more frightening, cold, clinical. Modernity is full of trade offs, I suppose.
My wife and I have sometimes discussed the final disposition of our beloved dog (luckily he's only 7 and likely has many more good years, but nevertheless) and I've been adamant that if we need to end his life that I'll pay the extra money to have it done in our home because he hates the car and he hates the vet's office and so putting him through two things he hates as during his final hours seems cruel and disrespectful.
The same thing kind of occurs to me about dying in a hospital. I would gladly sacrifice a few weeks of my life if it meant I could die peacefully in my home surrounded by loved ones rather than in a sterile room surrounded by strangers. The thought is somehow far less frightening. Unfortunately I imagine dying in your home these days means you're very wealthy or very unlucky.
John, I'm afraid you are right. (I don't know the stats, but the general picture is on target.) Interesting how we can give a "humane" death to our beloved pets but not to our loved ones or ourselves.
"It makes sense, therefore, that we devoid thought and effort into getting ready. We don’t know when and how it will take place, only that it definitely will."
I think you meant 'devote' not 'devoid'; I'm more inclined to 'avoid'. It's not like I can do much about it -- delay a bit at best...
Yup, we are devoting, not devoiding! Delaying a bit is also good, if one is in decent physical and mental shape!
Brilliant as usual, thank you Massimo
Thanks, appreciated!
I'm new to Figs in Winter. This is my first issue. I'm glad I subscribed!
For the past couple years, I've been writing a book-length manuscript about death. Inevitably (I suppose) it led me to the early philosophers, particularly the stoics.
In this issue you've further educated me and prodded my thoughts.. Thank you.
Tito, welcome! And thanks for the kind words!
Dying is easy if often unpleasant. Staying alive is trickier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfwQ_7xqO7Y
Thank you for this article. I was talking to me family the other day about how the Stoics and Epicureans had a more civilized understanding of death than we do.
Thanks for this. It is a clear exposition of the issues surrounding the end of a person’s existence. Seneca has really defined issues and, in my opinion, his work cannot be improved upon. We presently live a world of distractions and have forgotten how to conduct meaningful deep thinking about important issues. It is unfortunate that most people in our society are not aware of this ancient thoughts on mortality and morality. Please continue, what I consider, this necessary work of re-introducing this ideas.
Glad you liked the post. Yes, I think it's going to be hard to improve on Seneca in this respect. And of course I agree that more people would benefit from an appreciation of the best that the ancient world had to offer.
Thanks Morton, much appreciated.