Here you will find my various pieces of writing. Cicero was an avid writer and there is more of his writing which survives from the ancient world than any other writer. These essays are not meant to be doctrinal. Therefore, I encourage you, my reader, to think through my arguments and claims and challenge them for yourself. I hope only to lead you to a thought, the thinking must be done yourself…
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Last week we discussed the second quality of leadership, justice (iustitia). We found that it was the responsibility of everyone to be just, both passively and actively. Not only was it important not to harm others, but it was also necessary to step in and stop others from harming others when it was possible. In…
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Over the last two weeks we have discussed Justice (iustitia), the quality of leadership (virtus) which maintains trust and allows us to live in social communities together. It was also the foundation of generosity (benignitas) which brought humans into harmony with existence and even closer to one another. Today, our discussion will move onto the…
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When Cicero was writing De Officiis (On Responsible Actions), he was preparing to enter Rome in what would be his final stand for the Republic against Mark Antony. He knew that the chances of success were slim, and that defeat would mean his death. It is, therefore, no coincidence that Cicero addresses the treatise to…
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We have finally arrived at the fourth quality of leadership. In standard Stoicism this quality is known as Sophrosyne (Greek: σωφροσύνη) or temperantia in Latin. In English, we can understand this as temperance, moderation, or self-control. Cicero uses the term decorum for this quality of leadership. The word decor means ‘what is seemly’, ‘beauty’ or ‘grace’. Therefore,…
Via Ciceronis 