Analysis of Cicero's Laelius de Amicitia

There is one thing in this world that no one can escape, that everyone fears, and makes people who are close to that person miserable, and that is death. Death is the worst thing that can ever happen to a person, and is just as bad for the people who are close to them. There is an emptiness that comes with the death of a loved one or someone close. That blankness in the world does something to the people who encompass that person who passed. It changes people, whether it is for better or worse. Death is a part of life and depending on how people are affected can dictate whether it will leave a positive or negative change to their life and that conversion happened to me with the death of my mother, Fran.

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” (Mark Twain). This quote from the famous American writer is the basis for what became one of the hardest ideas to comprehend, death. Death has always been a complex term, causing one to struggle with what the true definition is. It is also hard to wrap your mind around what does it truly mean to die. These are the questions we long for the answer. Whether we acknowledge it or not, death has always been feared by many. Death remains an impossible question, one that has been unexplained since beginning of time. Even though dying is a natural, we as a human race still fear it. What can be done to defeat this never-ending battle? According to Montaigne’s “To Philosophize is to Learn to Die” and Cory Taylor’s “Questions for Me About Dying” we can overcome this by living to the fullest, living with no regrets, living a legacy, and lastly not fearing the inevitable. If you want to conquer the question of life, live in the moment.

Death is the most inevitable and unknown aspect of life. It is unescapable, and by most of today’s population, it is feared in the utmost regard. Our materialistic views and constant desertion of religious ideals has forced our society to view death as an ultimate end. Socrates and St. Augustine’s views on death differ from many views on the subject in 2017, however, for their time, these men had the power to influence a plethora of individuals with their theories. For Socrates, death should never be feared and should be considered a blessing if our souls were to ascend to heaven, or death could be an extensive slumber without any dreaming whatsoever. With

Aristotle once said, “Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.” There are many things that go into the process of friendship. Some people deal with friendship one way while others deal with it in another way. Cicero had a lot to say about the different aspects of friendship in his time, but how would he view modern friendship? Some friendships Cicero may not be proud of; like the common relationships that are forced on in a classroom or work place and the lack of allowing nature to take control and make the friendships that are meant to happen. However, Cicero would be happy with the way the higher level friendships have developed in virtue

Many people seem to fear death, but philosophers such as Socrates and Epicurus would argue that one has no reason to fear it. Socrates sees death as a blessing to be wished for if death is either nothingness or a relocation of the soul, whereas Epicurus argues that one shouldn't worry themselves about death since, once we are gone, death is annihilation which is neither good nor bad. Epicurus believes that death itself is a total lack of perception, wherein there is no pleasure or pain. I agree with Epicurus because Socrates doesn't give a sound argument for death as a blessing, whereas Epicurus' argument is cogent. I would also argue personally that death is not something to be feared because, like Epicurus, I see no sufficient evidence

Both Marcus Aurelius and Cicero try to create a guide, based on their stoic views, on how a person is supposed to live a purposeful life. Marcus Aurelius was an emperor and Cicero was a politician, so both serve somebody or something. In Cicero’s “On Friendship” he bases his guides on what he has learned from important people in his life. In Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” he bases his guide off of what he has learned as an emperor with stoic views. Some of what he Aurelius has learned is different from Cicero’s view of stoicism; an example of this is in section seven of Meditations. Section seven of Meditations is about what Aurelius learned from his tutor. He states, “Endure hardship, and have few needs; to do things for myself and not

The way I percieve death is that it is absoulute and no living thing can ever escape it. Nor should we be afraid of death it is simply a

Perhaps this means that the living friend begins to do more reflection on the experiences shared while both were living; perhaps this means that the living party carries on with conversing with their friend who has passed on, either not expecting a response or crafting one that they think their friend might have offered as a response in life. The new kind of friendship is more introspective, but the connection needn’t die because one of the friends did. Whyte also postulates that, “all friendships of any length are based on a continued, mutual forgiveness. Without tolerance and mercy all friendships die” (Whyte 71). It seems that, to Whyte, forgiveness and understanding are the cornerstones of a successful friendship. Not only is an authentic friendship strengthened over time because of the numerous chances for one’s mistakes and the other’s resultant forgiveness, but also, time strengthens it by desensitizing the two people from each others’ downfalls. In a lasting and meaningful friendship, the downfalls are acknowledged, but they are not something upon which the friends dwell; in place of dwelling on errors, the friends focus on encouraging the positive aspects of each other’s humanity. Whyte supports this claim in saying, “…to remain friends we must know the other and their difficulties and even their sins and encourage

In kindergarten, children gave each other colorful beaded bracelets to symbolize their everlasting friendships. “Best friends forever!” they cheered during recess— ignorant to the tragic reality that they would eventually travel their separate ways. Although friendships are full of happiness and laughter, they also consist of sadness and tears. In fact, the majority of individuals would agree that breaking up with a friend is significantly worse than breaking up with a significant other. With a friend, you develop a In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle claims that friendship is extremely crucial to life. John Donne’s “No Man is an Island” acknowledges Aristotle’s idea of friendship whereas Paul Simon’s “I am a Rock” refutes it.

Among all of the famous writings originating from Rome, Cicero’s oratory is the most analyzed and admired by translators. Cicero, who held power to what is similar to a judge, was defending Caelius Rufus. Caelius, who was a past student of Cicero, was charged with political violence. The trial is mostly focusing on Caelius for taking gold for the attempted murder of Dio of Alexandria as well as poisoning a woman named Clodia. Cicero made an effective introduction about Caelius to show that he is not guilty of these charges. Hence,  the trial begins on a high note for Caelius.

In “Friendship in an Age of Economics” by Todd May, friendship is defined as different types of relationships. Todd May starts the article off with a story of him being in the hospital. A friend of his had come by and sat with him for some time. May then goes into the different types of relationships and friendships. He finishes off the article with this quote, “To be able to sit by the bed of another, watching him sleep, waiting for nothing else, is to understand where else we might be”. This quote is very meaningful because it reflects on one of the true meanings of friendship. You should be able to be with that person regardless of the situation, you should always be there for your friend, and supporting

I believe Cicero position in the discussion about friendship is stronger than Aristotle’s position because Cicero believes friendship exists between two people, he also went deep in talking about friendship, the limits of friendship, how loyalty is important in friendship, the way friendships get stronger and older, which is also talked about the golden rule of friendship which he stated in section nineteen “put yourself on a level with your friends”. He also talked about the cause of friendship which he stated in section eleven that a belief in a man’s virtue is the original cause of friendship that friendship can hardly remain if virtue be abandon. By this , he made me understand virtue

“A friend, as it were, is a second self.” Marcus Tullius Cicero in De Amicitia. While reading this quotation, my first thought was one of the Torah’s mitzvot. This quote is fairly similar to “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.” Leviticus 19:18.

In the early nineteen century, Abigail Adams, wife to then president John Adams, constructs a letter to her son John Quincy Adams. She narrates comparisons and congenial tone to advise her son of the fearful journey he will endure with his father.

Throughout Quintus Cicero’s Running for Office: A Handbook one can see the many connections current politics has with that of the ancient world. Amidst America’s present-day elections and focusing on presidential hopefuls such as, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, this paper seeks to highlight the parallels and disparities between Quintus Cicero’s Handbook and today’s campaign.