On Benefits

by Seneca, Aubrey Stewart (Translator)

Among the numerous faults of those who pass their lives recklessly and without due reflexion, my good friend Liberalis, I should say that there is hardly any one so hurtful to society as this, that we neither know how to bestow or how to receive a benefit. It follows from this that benefits are badly invested, and become bad debts: in these cases it is too late to complain of their not being returned, for they were thrown away when we bestowed them. Nor need we wonder that while the greatest vices are common, none is more common than ingratitude: for this I see is brought about by various causes. The first of these is, that we do not choose worthy persons upon whom to bestow our bounty, but although when we are about to lend money we first make a careful enquiry into the means and habits of life of our debtor, and avoid sowing seed in a worn-out or unfruitful soil, yet without any discrimination we scatter our benefits at random rather than bestow them. It is hard to say whether it is more dishonourable for the receiver to disown a benefit, or for the giver to demand a return of it: for a benefit is a loan, the repayment of which depends merely upon the good feeling of the debtor. To misuse a benefit like a spendthrift is most shameful, because we do not need our wealth but only our intention to set us free from the obligation of it; for a benefit is repaid by being acknowledged.

This edition includes:
- A complete biography of Lucius Annaeus Seneca
- Table of contents with directs links to chapters.

Genres: Philosophy, Classics, Nonfiction, Unfinished, Ancient, Ancient History

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 63

About the author

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca or Seneca the Younger); ca. 4 BC – 65 AD) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero, who later forced him to commit suicide for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to have him assassinated.

Reviews

[Bogdan Raț · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Măreția spiritului nu înseamnă să dăruiești o binefacere și să o vezi risipindu-se: măreția spiritului înseamnă să o vezi risipindu-se și să stărui în a dărui.”

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral Essays – De Providentia, De Constantia, De Ira, De Clementia by Seneca – one of the greatest thinkers of all time, author of On The Happy Life and other essays, my note on this is at https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... with hundreds of other reviews

10 out of 10

Let us start with De Providentia, and say that the stoics insisted ‘it is not what happens, but what you make of what happens, be happy with what you are given, wish for what you already have’ and other rules along the same lines, critics will say it was easy for Seneca to be so serene, he was perhaps the richest man of ancient Rome

Indeed, with that, he was one of the wealthiest of all time, because we have to convert the coins he owned into our money, and besides, there is also the issue of what the others had, which is an exercise in futility, if we are to use the Stoic precepts, and we can also say he knew about having a fortune, he was not confabulating
One wonderful argument in favor of Seneca and the Stoics is that studies in psychology have demonstrated they were right ‘Happiness Activity No 6: Developing Strategies for Coping-practicing ways to endure or surmount hardship or trauma, Happiness Activity No 7: Learning to Forgive –keeping a journal or writing a letter in which you work on letting go of anger and resentment toward one or more individuals who’ve hurt or wronged you’

This is from the magical, astounding, life-changing The How of Happiness https://realini.blogspot.com/2014/07/... by Sonja Lyubomirsky, after intense, elaborate, years long studies, the conclusion is that we need to be prepared for Providentia, Forgive
Now, if this damn fate brings in an Orange Felon, to be the leader of the free world (elected, so, maybe it is not blind misfortune) what do you call that, I wonder, but I am reminded that the Stoics were so exaggerated may be the word, that they insisted we must thank those who test our stamina, as in Orange Clown, thank you

I could not do that, just as I think of an example from the How of Happiness, in the Forgiveness department, wherein she tells us about this murder, in south Africa, the parents of the victim went down there, met with the killer, and then the mother of the dead young woman not only forgave, but made an NGO with the murderer
Something to that effect, I forgot the details, but the magnanimity, probably religiosity of the mother was incredible, a sadistic, vicious thought enters my head, and I say…then she went home, and voted for…Orange Jesus

De Constantia is not really my thing, as these lines prove, I am all over the place (maybe the ‘weave’ of the often-mentioned Orange Moron sounds familiar, alas, I do it too, but I am not a candidate for, well, anything…oh, yes, I have fallen in love, a little bit, so I do want to be elected in that sense) but then, this is the challenge
To get into The Zone, be in Flow, obtain Maximum Engagement https://realini.blogspot.com/2016/10/... there are a few conditions, one is skills meet challenges, or else we have to be on the line between burnout and boredom…

‘We are what we regularly do. Excellence is not an act, it is a habit’ this argues for Consistency aka Constantia and it is attributed to Aristotle, who has another favorite rule, The Golden Mean, virtue has vice on either side, courage has madness on the left (biker going with maximum speed on ice) and cowardice on the right
Aside from Aristotle https://realini.blogspot.com/2014/07/... we have the Talmud, though I have seen it associated with Lao Tzu, the idea that ‘you need to mind your thoughts, for they become words, words become acts, acts become habits, and habits form character, character is you

De Ira aka About Anger, needless to say, a Stoic would not contemplate that – Seneca was rich, so again, why should he bother – but sometimes, it explodes, one incident is fresh, at the gym, this man I know, calm, cultivated, serene was lifting some weights, and this woman is shouting ‘pula mea’, aka ‘my cock’, though she did not have one
This is as foul as can be, well, probably there is worse, and I will be sexist here (old fashioned, passe, retrograde and all the rest) for a woman to say that, it makes me wince, and get in Thin Slicing, Harding Effect, Blink mood https://realini.blogspot.com/2013/05/... with a clear opinion

Yes, if there is harm, offense, and so on, it is not just justified, she is entitled to much more, maybe use a gun (illegal here, but as a concept) but to just scream out that, without any reason, this is disqualifying, just as it is for anybody, he, she, they, it is also true that there is this tendency to ‘show off’, and in the worst possible way
There is the wise metaphor of Buddha, to be angry is like taking some hot coals in your hand, with the intention of throwing it on your enemy, but while you do that, your hand will get burned, and then of course there is Clementia, covered above by Happiness Activity Number 7, Forgiveness, we need this for the other, but also for ourselves, it is also a gesture of kindness, like Anthony Quinn says in Lawrence of Arabia https://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/... ‘ I am a river to my people’

Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/u... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se

There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/r...

Some favorite quotes from To the Hermitage and other works

‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’

‚Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus’

“From Monty Python - The Meaning of Life...Well, it's nothing very special...Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.”

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s the thought that counts.

[Nick Klagge · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Seneca's excellent "On the Shortness of Life," I immediately went looking for other things by Seneca that I could read. This was the only one that came up on Project Gutenberg; a little bit surprising given that I'm sure there must be fairly old English translations of some of his other works.

Anyway, I can't say that I got as much out of this as I did from the other book. Although it is also nominally a letter to a friend, it doesn't have the same warm tone as the other essays, but rather comes across as a more standard systematic treatment of a subject. I was hoping, going into it, that I might learn something from Seneca on the topic of giving and receiving gifts, which is an area where I've had some challenges with family members who think about things differently from me. However, the social context that Seneca is writing about is so different that I didn't find a lot that seemed relevant. Seneca is writing about "benefits" in the sense of something more like political favors--the benefits that a "benefactor" might bestow. I suppose gift-giving among friends and family, to the extent that it existed at all in Imperial Rome, would have been very different from today's context anyway.

At any rate, I am not deterred, and still looking out for other works of Seneca's to read.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detta är en bok om tacksamhet och vänfasthet, och om hur man bör hantera dessa visavi varandra och sig själv. Dess råd är sådana som farmor gav när jag var liten, men formulerade på ett sätt som är lättare för en vuxen att ta till sig. En del av det är sådant jag hade glömt - såsom plikten att hedra givaren för gåvor man inte bett om, genom att använda dem där det är möjligt - medan annat är moraliska självklarheter, såsom "hedra dina vänner genom att försöka se vad de inte vågar be om"; vi kanske inte alltid lyckas, men försöker alla/de flesta.

Vissa tankar var väldigt nya för mig - att se Catilina som en otacksam, snarare än dumidealistisk, hämndlysten, slösaktig, etc. individ, ställer problemet med samhällsilojalitet i ett nytt ljus.

Ja, jag rekommenderar denna. För de som lever i moderna samhällen, och framförallt för de med egna parvlar, som kan behöva höra goda råd.

[Oana Dobrican · Rating 4 out of 5]

Descoperindu-l pe Seneca, am descoperit promisiunea unei ''vieți trăită cu sens, echilibru și conștientizare de sine'', punctul de cerneală cât tot universul... ''iartă, ca să poți fi iertat''. 🐾🐾🐾🐾

[Lloyd Earickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn’t my intent to read a trio of ancient Roman books in a row – would you believe me if I told you it was an accident?  No?  That’s probably fair.  In this case, though, it’s sort of true, mostly because I didn’t remember who wrote On Benefits when I picked it out from my reading list.  I don’t regret the choice, though, and of the three, I would most highly recommend On Benefits as being one of those books that everyone will, well, benefit from reading.

To understand why, it’s worth realizing the amount of uncertainty and debate there is in the translation of the title.  “Benefits” seems to be the most common and literal translation, but you will also see it translated at times as “Charity,” “Generosity,” or “Giving.”  One annotated version I came across titled it An Ancient Guide to Giving.  Though perhaps less accurate than On Benefits, I think this last might be the most appropriate.  It’s certainly the most effective at conveying what Seneca wrote about in this book (and yes, I think this is the same Seneca).

Why do we give?  What is altruism, and why does it exist?  On Benefits addresses these deep questions, but it does not spend all its time in such theoretical matters.  In fact, the majority of the book is more concerned with practical questions of how, what, and when to give.  It acknowledges the benefits which can accrue upon the giver, but it does not make these the reason for being generous, like objectivism does.  Nor does it suggest that simply being generous is a virtue of itself – according to Seneca (and I agree), it is quite possible to be generous badly.  Fortunately, he wrote a guide about how to be generous well, and it is little diminished in its relevance and applicability by the intervening millennia.

It might seem a simple thing to give well.  Pick some charity with a cause you agree with, write them a check, and move on.  Oh, it might be complicated by the fact that charities can be rather untrustworthy, that many of them aren’t particularly efficient with their money, or by how few people seem to know how to write a check these days, but the basic act of giving is straightforward.  Except…that’s missing the point.  Much of what makes giving matter is the thought that is put into it.  Give someone a check, and they’ll appreciate it.  They’ll spend it, and that will be that.  Give someone exactly what they need at exactly the right moment, something durable and high-quality, and they will appreciate it and remember for years.

I like to think I’m pretty good at giving gifts most of the time.  At least, I put a lot of time and thought into it, paying attention and writing down ideas to save for when gift-giving holidays come around, and often doing extensive research in support of the choice of gift.  On Benefits suggests these are some of the key factors which make for good gift giving: paying attention to what is needed, choosing an appropriate time, providing a high-quality benefit.  Memory plays a significant role in Seneca’s gift-giving ideas, too.  Though credit to the gift-giver should not be expected in good gift-giving, the receiver should still remember the gift, even if they never find out who gave it to them.  I think of this as obvious enough when it comes to giving gifts to people I’m close to, but On Benefits takes the next step, suggesting that this is the way all giving should be done.

You’ve probably heard that charities often don’t want you to volunteer your time.  They would rather have your money.  It’s an economic argument, and you may have even heard this particular example.  If a lawyer wants to contribute to a charity, they are better off working extra hours and donating the extra income, or providing pro bono legal services, than they are working in a soup kitchen, assembling houses, or otherwise doing charity work that is outside their specialty.  Most people I know are uncomfortable with the notion, but struggle to argue with the productivity argument.  Seneca articulates the counterargument: giving in this fashion is more than a productivity optimization problem.

Today, we think of gift-giving and charity as distinct concepts, and we approach them in fundamentally different fashions.  In erasing the distinction between what we today call charity and this kind of interpersonal gift-giving, Seneca captures the hollowness of charity as a productivity optimization problem, and suggests an avenue by which to make it as meaningful and satisfying as a well-considered gift to a friend.  All benefits should be personal.

Much is said about the decline of classics education and how it impacts culture, morality, and development.  There’s something to the argument, but it can sometimes be overstated – as much as I think there is value to reading, say, Herodotus, I don’t think people not reading his Histories is a root cause of societal decline (and how do we even define societal decline?  As Cato pointed out, every generation perceives a societal decline, though the reality is more of a mild ebbing and flowing across decades and centuries).  Certain classics, though, have an enduring relevance that puts them on a short list of books that I think everyone should read, books that I do believe people are worse off for not reading.  On Benefits is now on that list.

[John Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it unexpectedly enough, as usual for the historical references, anecdotes of figures and insights into the patina of ordinary ancient life. The conclusion is a bit anti-climactic since it depends on what was a certainty of faith then that has been unfounded since so that the Epicurean fortuitous fiery particles, describing the sun, that Seneca scorns, seems pretty prescient while his statement it's a god is ...naff.

[Tommi Karjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Might challenge some modern views about grace. Seneca says that even though the giver of a benefit should not expect payback, this is what a sensible receiver will do. Indeed, he will think it more as a loan that he needs to repay, and the first installment is his gratitude. Ingratitude, in Seneca's view, is the greatest vice and cancer of the society.

I look forward to reading John Barclay's Paul and the Gift after reading this.

[Michal Schmalz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art of bestowing benefits is still needed today as was some two thousand years ago. (Even though this book might be on some points unnecessarily detailed.)

[Yann Roshdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce livre est une étude assez aride des modes d'entrée en relation sociale à l'époque romaine. Sénèque guide le bienfaiteur et celui qui reçoit le bienfait, afin d'en faire une éthique de la bienfaisance, du clientélisme, de l'évergétisme. Cette éthique est une pratique éminemment vertueuse, centrée sur les états mentaux et les intentions, et elle est centrale dans toutes les grandes traditions romaines. Avant l'émergence de l'individualisme occidental tel que déterminé par l'Église et 1500 ans de christianisme, ce sont ce genre d'éthiques de vertu et ces types de relations sociales qui dominaient.

Avec cet impérialisme des nouvelles technologies GAFAs, de la Chine, la Russie, la Turquie, les USA et une foule d'acteurs régionaux sur-puissants, il est évident, quand on les compare à leurs voisins (vassaux), que nous revenons vers ce mode de relations sociales en politique intérieure mais aussi dans les relations internationales. Les cultures impériales fonctionnent avec des ligues d'intérêts, des luttes de factions et des projections de puissances "impérieuses". Il est évident pour moi que plusieurs frontières physiques et discrètes (fonds marins, internet, spatial, arctique) vont être redessinées dans les prochaines années ou décennies, à l'image de "la ligne aux 9 traits" et la One China Policy du parti communiste chinois.

[Gianfranco Nerdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finalmente uno scritto di Seneca di un certo spessore, se non altro grazie [anche] alla sua lunghezza, che gli ha permesso di sviscerare alcune questioni un po' più a fondo. Le ultime 20 pagine sono state però abbastanza difficili da leggere, devo dire, per via di una certa ripetitività (ma non per una loro difficoltà intrinseca). Anche in questo trattato Seneca non manca di contraddirsi almeno un paio di volte, purtroppo. Nel complesso, 4 stelle mi pare una valutazione abbastanza onesta ed equilibrata, questo anche nel contesto di tutta la produzione letteraria senecana.

[Marcopesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il libro che ho letto è l´ultimo libro di Martino Menghi “IO SENECA”edito da “la vita felice” uscito il 23 novembre 2019 e non ancora recensito da goodreads, per cui lo parcheggio temporaneamente qui,.
Libro coinvolgente sulla vita di Seneca narrata in prima persona , a metà fra saggio e romanzo ci fa rivivere dal vero la storia della Roma del primo Impero con intrighi di corte e di potere, raccontati da uno stoico che cerca di creare un mondo equo contro,i poteri e la corruzione imperiale.

[Semeniuc Cătălin · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte despre daruire, care ne deschide ochii la cum putem oferi, primi, dar si sa fim mai des recunoscatori. Elemente de baza pentru o viata impacata si in armonie cu cei din jurul nostru.

"Cel care primeste o binefacere din toata inima, a si rasplatit-o."

"Atat mai am: ce am daruit."

"Vad fierul adus la suprafata din aceleasi adancuri intunecate ca si aurul si argintul, ca sa nu ne lipseasca nici instrumentul si nici pretul pentru a ne macelari unii pe altii."

[Ed Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gifts Given

The philosophy of Seneca is largely that of the stoic school, and this book discusses his views on the gifting of benefits on others. The modesty of giving offset with deliberately bestowing the benefits on others to actually make it a benefit where a sacrifice is deliberately offered. Not an easy read, but a good one.

[Karol Pasierb]

It was good, some of it was incredibly good. I really enjoyed some parts, but got bored with some others that dated. There's nothing inherently wrong with this book. I just didn't feel compelled to finish it, as I basically already agreed with every word from the very beginning.

[Michael Baranowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in Seneca's typical lucid style and a pleasure to read. But even so, he goes into far more detail than any modern needs - a book that would have been far better as an extended essay. Though to be fair, giving and receiving benefits properly was a much bigger deal back then.

[Ginger Schiffmayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, practical work of philosophy. Characteristically Roman, yet feels fresh and relevant today. A basic understanding of Roman/Patron client relationships is helpful when approaching this work.

Many people I know could use his “scripts” for dealing with how to receive gifts.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Roman stoic philosopher's exploration of benefits and gratitude from a myriad of societal angles...

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is highly recommended because Loeb are the only ones who print ALL of Senecas moral essays.

[Alessio]

AESTHETICS x ETHICS x AESTHETICS x ETHICS x AESTHETICS x ETHICS x AESTHETICS

[Legens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat verbose and uneven in style, but worthy in its close-to-life examination of giving and receiving, on obligation and grace.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

a "rambling and repetitive book," to be sure - at least 100 pages too long - but I got several interesting essays out of it:

https://oliverbatemandoesthework.subs... (on failsons)

https://www.splicetoday.com/writing/f... (on the intrinsic value of meaningful labor)

[Zachary Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Seneca is a very easy-to-understand philosopher which I enjoy. Overall would recommend

[Valeriu Gherghel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un lung discurs despre „daruri, favoruri, binefaceri” care îl are ca destinatar pe un anume Aebutius Liberalis.

Titlul original al tratatului este De beneficiis. Termenul „beneficium” e polisemic și, ca atare, greu de tradus. Nu avea semnificația de azi: cutare afacere mi-a adus un beneficiu, un cîștig. Beneficiul latin era darul / favorul oferit sau primit de cineva.

Tratatul lui Seneca pare, mai degrabă, un exercițiu sofistic, decât unul filosofic. În mare, tema lui este gratitudinea și ingratitudinea oamenilor. Nu trebuie să uităm că societatea romană se caracteriza printr-un schimb intens de favoruri. Mulți nobili se ruinau tocmai din pricina acestui obicei (numit evergetism): organizau lupte de gladiatori, cumpărau fiare sălbatice din Africa, îi hrăneau pe săraci etc. În schimbul darurilor publice costisitoare (și gratuite), ei își doreau creșterea prestigiului (etimologic: a strălucirii), a notorietății. Acest obicei roman a fost analizat de istoricul Paul Veyne într-o carte vestită: Le pain et le cirque, 1976.
Ceea ce frapează este definiția termenului beneficium în versiunea lui Seneca:

„Ce este atunci binefacerea? Este un act de bunăvoinţă, care oferă bucurie şi care, tocmai oferind, [donatorul] o şi primeşte [înapoi], căci făptuieşte după propria sa înclinaţie şi dispoziţie firească. Şi de aceea nu are importanţă ce se face sau ce este dăruit, ci cu ce gând, de vreme ce binefacerea nu constă în ceea ce se face sau este dăruit, ci chiar în starea de spirit a celui care dăruieşte şi care făptuieşte” (1, 6, 1).

Seneca distinge, așadar, între faptul de a dărui ceva (acțiunea de a da) și lucrul oferit. Cele două nu trebuie să fie confundate. În tratatul lui Lucius Annaeus Seneca, beneficium numește, în primul rând, plăcerea și bucuria cu care este oferit un dar (nu numai fizic, și viața poate fi dată în dar) și nu obiectul donat. Cel care confundă actul de a dărui cu obiectul dăruit va avea parte de numeroase neplăceri. Și, în primul rând, cu nerecunoștința indivizilor cărora le-a făcut binele.

Firește, Seneca profită de ambiguitatea termenului a da, a dărui: bani, speranțe, titluri, onoruri și nu uită, de pildă, că unele femei (tot mai puține în epoca noastră) își dăruiesc nurii mai multor bărbați și, după obiceiul rigoriștilor, le acoperă cu ocări:

„Mai este oare privit cu jenă adulterul, după ce s-a ajuns ca o femeie să nu aibă un soţ decât pentru a-l scoate din minţi pe amant? Castitatea este o dovadă de urâţenie fizică. Unde vei găsi o femeie atât de nenorocită, atât de prăpădită încât să-i ajungă doar o pereche de amanţi – fără să-şi aibă fiecare oră ocupată cu câte unul?” (3, 16, 3).

[jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's inspiration far outweighs any perspiration. The mechanics of benefits and gratitude in Seneca belong to Rome and the empire and a time far removed from our day and age. But there is much to be gained and insights to be had, not only for that time but for our time. I highly recommend Seneca, On Benefits (De beneficiis). You will be rewarded.

[Ruud · Rating 1 out of 5]

In comparison to other works by Seneca, this text is very long-winded. In addition, the christian interpretation by the translator is quite apparent. I did not finish this book; I moved on to the moral letters to Lucilius instead, which is a great read.