Lauren Sutehall

Discussion

• What Cicero thought were most important goals of a commonwealth and its laws?
• How did his work reflect a “stoic” perspective on the world?

History of Cicero

Born in 106BC and was well educated in rhetoric and philosophy. Elected as consul from non-military family. He did not like Julius Caesar or Mark Antony and was assassinated during Antony’s revenge in 43BC.

From: On the Commonwealth (De Re Publica)

• Cicero’s Stoic version of Plato’s Republic. Protection of our commonwealth, common safety of our country and “overcome all the allures of pleasure and repose.

· Every commonwealth must be regulated by a certain authority in order to be permanent: monarchy, oligarchy, democracy. Each government, if not moved by greed or self interest, will be secure

• Q: can only those governments that are morally right be the most secure and lasting?

From: On the Laws

• One law establishes justice in society, that law is “right reason.”
• True rule of all commandments and prohibitions. Natural inclination to love mankind- ‘better to be loved than to be feared’
• If the will of the people or decrees of the Sentate were enough to establish rights, it would be right to rob, commit adultery, forge wills….
• Q: If a foolish man were in charge, couldn’t the make that which is essentially bad into a law? Cicero says NO. that to be truly lawfull, a law must be in accordance with nature and reason.
• This is based off Stoic philosophy: each person has a moral obligation to do good. This is called “divine mind” (= stoic ‘logos’)
• Q: do people have an inherent moral obligation to do good?

Stoic Philosophy

• Originated in Greece
• Order behind all confusion in universe
• Sin resides with resisting natural order
• Natural plan of rate, role in life to live according with the plan
• Natural laws Stoics live by are universally imposed