Wednesday Wisdom

Justus Lipsius, a Belgian philosopher, and humanist, was born in 1547 outside of Brussels. Jesuit educated and later working under Cardinal Granville in Rome, he was commissioned to study ancient monuments and libraries. His deep dive into Roman artifacts brought curiosity and reverence to ancient thinkers. While studying Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Cato, he learned how the Stoics dealt with the human condition and emotions. This appreciation for their writings led to a deeper understanding of the relationship between man and God and Church and state.

What he produced

Lipsius concluded his two books "On constancy in the times of public evil"( De Constantia in public mali) in 1583. This was modeled after the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca's writings, which he discovered in the archives. Lipsius saw complementary thoughts between Stoicism and Christianity in rejecting materialism and understanding human suffering as a normal condition of mankind.

2022 why do we care?

While Lispius is not well known, his impact is underappreciated across Western Civilization. He may have been the most influential person reviving the Stoic philosophy of Seneca (the younger and older) and more importantly the Roman Statesman Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism today has become influential in areas such as physical and mental health. It has also had a great influence over democratic governments and His work "Meditations" is cited as the handbook of service and duty.

Philosophy is the art of thinking, the building block of progress that shapes critical thinking across economics, ethics, religion, and science.