Gaius Musonius Rufus is actually one of the four higher Stoic philosophers of your own Roman empire, plus Seneca, Epictetus, and you can Marcus Aurelius. He recommended a commitment to live on to possess advantage, maybe not fulfillment, just like the virtue preserves united states regarding the problems one to wreck life. Whether or not beliefs is more difficult to discover than many other victims, it’s more critical because corrects the mistakes into the thinking that lead to mistakes when you look at the pretending. He also known as having traditional individual habits, such as the easiest vegetarian food diet, and minimal, inexpensive clothing and you may footwear, to have a, tough life into the agreement into principles off Stoicism. The guy believed that opinions need to be read to not nurture brilliance when you look at the objections or a way too high cleverness, but to develop an excellent character, a sound notice, and you will a hard, healthy system. Musonius destined all the privileges and disapproved regarding sexual activity outside of e degree inside beliefs since men, once the virtues are exactly the same both for sexes. He applauded the wedded life with many students. The guy affirmed Stoic orthodoxy from inside the training one neither demise, burns, insult, problems, impoverishment, neither exile is going to be feared once the not one of them try evils.

Table of Contents

1. Existence
2. Lessons
3. Thinking, Philosophers, and you will Virtue
4. As well as Frugality
5. Feminine and you may Equal Education
6. Sex, ily, and you will Senior years
7. Perception
8. References and additional Studying

1. Lives

Gaius Musonius Rufus came into this world ahead of 31 C.Elizabeth. in Volsinii, an Etruscan town of Italy, as the an effective Roman eques (knight), the se detta class out-of aristocracy rated next only to senators. He was a pal regarding Rubellius Plautus, whom emperor Nero noticed because a threat. When Nero banished Rubellius around sixty C.E., Musonius then followed him to your exile in Asia Small. Once Rubellius passed away during the 62 C.Elizabeth. Musonius gone back to Rome, in which the guy taught and you may practiced Stoicism, and that roused the new suspicion of Nero. To the breakthrough of your own great conspiracy up against Nero, led because of the Calpurnius Piso when you look at the 65 C.Elizabeth., Nero banished Musonius for the arid, desolate area from Gyaros in the Aegean Sea. The guy gone back to Rome underneath the rule out-of Galba in 68 C.E. and you may attempted to recommend tranquility to the Flavian army addressing Rome. From inside the 70 C.Elizabeth. Musonius shielded the new conviction of one’s philosopher Publius Egnatius Celer, who’d deceived Barea Soranus, a buddy of Rubellius Plautus. Musonius try exiled the second date, by Vespasian, however, returned to Rome on rule off Titus. Musonius try extremely acknowledged together with a considerable following the while in the his existence. The guy died prior to 101-dos C.Elizabeth.

dos. Teachings

Often Musonius had written absolutely nothing himself, otherwise exactly what the guy did write was missing, due to the fact nothing out of his own blog site survive. His philosophical instruction endure once the 30-several apophthegms (pithy sayings) and twenty-one to offered discourses, the seem to managed from the someone else and all in the Greek, except for Aulus Gellius’ testimonia in Latin. For this reason, chances are he lectured in Greek. Musonius best an immediate and to the level brand of classes. He educated the teacher off beliefs cannot expose of numerous objections but alternatively will be bring a number of, clear, basic arguments oriented to his listener and you can couched with regards to understood become persuasive compared to that listener.

step three. Opinions, Philosophers, and you will Virtue

Musonius believed that (Stoic) values was probably the most beneficial topic. Beliefs persuades all of us, centered on Stoic teaching, that neither lifestyle, nor wide range, nor satisfaction is an excellent, and therefore none passing, nor poverty, neither soreness try a bad; ergo the latter are not is feared. Virtue ‘s the just a because alone provides you out-of making errors in the way of life. Moreover, it is simply the latest philosopher which seems to create a study from advantage. The person who claims to feel understanding opinions need certainly to behavior it a great deal more faithfully versus people training drug or any other ability, because viewpoints is much more essential, plus tough to see, than any most other search. For the reason that, rather than other skills, people that data opinions was indeed contaminated within souls with vices and you may careless designs of the training one thing as opposed to what they will learn inside the values. However the philosopher cannot investigation virtue exactly as theoretic knowledge. Alternatively, Musonius claims you to definitely behavior is more crucial than principle, as practice more effectively guides me to step than theory. He kept one to no matter if people are naturally disposed to live on in place of error and has now the capacity to be virtuous, anyone who has perhaps not in reality discovered the skill of virtuous living cannot be anticipated to live instead error any more than just some body who’s not an experienced doc, musician, college student, helmsman, otherwise athlete could well be expected to practice men and women experiences instead mistake.