240206 What I learned in my studies this morning 4

Today's Meditation(s):

I'm a confused Stoic.  

I have two degrees in philosophy.  It was all normal, late 20-century American academic philosophy (focused on modern ideas, logic, parsing words and thoughts into oblivion, etc.). What is was not was training in how to live virtuously.

I take full blame for this. I was kid who didn't understand and so didn't use my time and efforts wisely. (Ironic for a philosophy student....)  The resources were there at my university had I realized what I should be doing.  I didn't get it yet so never took advantage of them.

Anyway, a few years ago, my friend and fellow philosophy student (now philosopher) gave me the beautiful hardcover Penguin Classics edition of Seneca's Letters.  It was in working my way through this treasury that I found a reason to study and apply what I have missed out on earlier in life.

After Seneca's Moral Letters — I'll always feel a special attachment to that work because it came first — I read Marcus' Meditations (in bits and pieces, not through in one go).  Ditto the Enchiridion. Then I read books about Stoicism and other ancient philosophy and history (see the sidebar on the left for a list of some of them).

Recently, I've been working through Robin Waterfield's annotated edition of the Meditations.  But I found myself regretting not having studied Epictetus more closely first to better understand Marcus, so I've added Waterfield's Epictetus the Complete Works to my reading.

And now I am trying to find annotated versions of Musonius Rufus' and Seneca's works.

When will it end? Hopefully, never.