Since man is by nature a rational animal, his ideal state is to fulfill the purpose of his birth by … — Sénèque

Since man is by nature a rational animal, his ideal state is to fulfill the purpose of his birth by living in accordance with his own rational nature—something reason demands and is intrinsically easy, but which is made difficult by the universal madness of humanity and the mutual pushing of people into vice.

By Sénèque, from Lettres à Lucilius

Key Arguments

He defines human essence as rationality: "For man is a rational animal."
He identifies the ideal condition of a human being with the fulfillment of this rational purpose: "Man’s ideal state is realized when he has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born."
He asks what reason demands and answers that it is simply to live according to one’s nature: "And what is it that reason demands of him? Something very easy – that he live in accordance with his own nature."
He immediately notes that this intrinsically easy demand becomes hard due to widespread madness: "Yet this is turned into something difficult by the madness that is universal among men; we push one another into vices."
He concludes with a rhetorical question stressing the lack of restraint against this collective drift: "And how can people be called back to spiritual well-being when no one is trying to hold them back and the crowd is urging them on?"

Source Quotes

It is his spirit, and the perfection of his reason in that spirit. For man is a rational animal. Man’s ideal state is realized when he has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born.

For man is a rational animal. Man’s ideal state is realized when he has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born. And what is it that reason demands of him?

Man’s ideal state is realized when he has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born. And what is it that reason demands of him? Something very easy – that he live in accordance with his own nature. Yet this is turned into something difficult by the madness that is universal among men; we push one another into vices.

Something very easy – that he live in accordance with his own nature. Yet this is turned into something difficult by the madness that is universal among men; we push one another into vices. And how can people be called back to spiritual well-being when no one is trying to hold them back and the crowd is urging them on?

Yet this is turned into something difficult by the madness that is universal among men; we push one another into vices. And how can people be called back to spiritual well-being when no one is trying to hold them back and the crowd is urging them on?

Key Concepts

For man is a rational animal.
Man’s ideal state is realized when he has fulfilled the purpose for which he was born.
And what is it that reason demands of him? Something very easy – that he live in accordance with his own nature.
Yet this is turned into something difficult by the madness that is universal among men; we push one another into vices.
And how can people be called back to spiritual well-being when no one is trying to hold them back and the crowd is urging them on?

Context

Closing sentences of Letter XLI, where Seneca draws a doctrinal conclusion from his discussion of the spirit and reason, defining human nature as rational and diagnosing social corruption as the reason why living according to nature becomes difficult.