Philosopher Bio's

SENECA

Lucius Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD) was a Roman statesman, dramatist, and Stoic philosopher. His writings showcased his affinity for ethical theory, the acceptance of adversity/death in life, and the importance of a contemplative lifestyle. In AD 41, Seneca was exiled to the island of Corsica under emperor Claudius, but was allowed to return in 49 to become a tutor to Nero. When Nero became emperor in 54, Seneca became his advisor. Due to the madness of Emperor Nero, Seneca was sentenced to suicide by allegedly plotting to assassinate Nero, although it is exceedingly likely that he was innocent. His calm, but drawn out and painful suicide in a bath has become a fixure in Western iconography due to the reflection of his Stoic values in the most dire of moments.

DIOGENES

Diogenes the Cynic (412 - 323 BC) was a Greek philosopher and founder of the Cynic school. Diogenes made a virtue of poverty, begging for a living and often sleeping in a large ceramic jar in the marketplace. Diogenes maintained that all the artificial growths of society were incompatible with happiness and that morality implies a return to the simplicity of nature. He became notorious for his philosophical stunts, such as mocking Alexander the Great to his face. He believed that philosophy was best when implemented into daily life, and not simply as a theoretical ideal. Diogenes was later captured by pirates and sold into slavery, but he managed to pass his teachings on, becoming one of the precursors for Stoic philosophy.

SOCRATES

Arguably the founder of Western philosophy, Socrates (470 - 399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens. Having authored no texts of his own, his legacy is mainly due to his student Plato who wrote down his various discourses. He was the first moral philosopher of the West, and also the propagator of the Socratic method of investigating moral concepts such as Justice and Goodness. He was often at odds with his fellow Athenians, arguing that people were interested in political and financial gain and not in the “welfare of their souls.” He was eventually charged with heresy for contaminating the minds of the people of Athens, and was sentenced to death. When given the option to escape Athens, Socrates chose to commit suicide in order to not break the social contract, a moral virtue which he believed to be indispensable for society.

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