Flashcards on Stoic Philosophy: Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Cicero
Stoic Philosophy: Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Cicero - Student Guide
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Roman Philosophy
10 cards
Card 1
Question: What was Cicero's general view on law and its relationship with reason and nature?
Answer: Cicero maintained that true law is "right reason in agreement with nature": civil law must conform to the natural law of divine reason; otherwise, it
Card 2
Question: According to Cicero, what does it mean that justice is not a matter of opinion but of fact?
Answer: It means that justice derives from human nature and humanity's relationship with its environment, making just principles objective and universal, not
Card 3
Question: Name the four principles of justice that, according to Cicero, derive from nature.
Answer: (1) Do not initiate violence without good reason; (2) Keep promises; (3) Respect private and common property; (4) Be charitable within one's means.
Card 4
Question: What condition did Cicero state a State must meet to be authentic?
Answer: The State must uphold laws consistent with reason and nature; without that justice embodied in law, it cannot be considered a true State.
Card 5
Question: How did Cicero judge laws imposed by force rather than by reason?
Answer: He considered them invalid as authentic laws; he compared pernicious measures imposed by violence to the rules of a criminal gang.
Card 6
Question: According to the text, what distinction did Cicero make between the form and substance of the State regarding rulers like Caesar?
Answer: Cicero believed that Caesar's reign might have the form of a State but lacked ethical substance because it was not governed by reason and nature.
Card 7
Question: Why, according to Cicero, is private property important in human life?
Answer: Because it allows people to plan for the future, live in peace, and acquire what is necessary for themselves and their families; the ability to preser
Card 8
Question: How did Cicero explain the origin of property in the absence of a State (state of nature)?
Answer: He stated that property existed in the state of nature and was established by a mixture of convention and consent, not as an absolute natural right.
Card 9
Question: Did Cicero consider property an absolute natural right?
Answer: No; he did not call it a natural right, but rather a logical extension of human nature based on convention and consent.
Card 10
Question: What role does the authentic State play with respect to property, according to Cicero?
Answer: If the State acts in accordance with natural law, it formalizes and protects what each person has legitimately acquired from nature ("to each their ow