Besides political commentary, although Cicero’s ruminations about education and philosophy are still tied to his political philosophy, Cicero’s other great undercurrent of thought in the Republic is the relationship between philosophy and education with the health of one’s soul and how this pursuit of wisdom impacts how one acts and engages in the world. Naturally this does … Continue reading Cicero’s Republic: Education and Humanism
Cicero
Cicero’s Republic: The Cyclical Theory of Constitutions
Cicero’s political philosophy is the most comprehensive from among the Roman philosophers. In fact, we owe much to Cicero, since he was the one who translated politeia as “republic” with regards to Plato, hence forever passing on Plato’s great work to us as The Republic. Cicero paid homage to Plato by the name De re publica. … Continue reading Cicero’s Republic: The Cyclical Theory of Constitutions
Cicero’s Republic: Patriotism and the Common Good
Cicero is perhaps the most famous of the Roman Stoic philosophers. He wrote many philosophical works, the two most famous being On the Republic/Commonwealth and The Laws. We will begin to look at Cicero’s anthropology, and how it influences his views of political philosophy beginning in The Republic. (It should be noted that the work is in poor condition, … Continue reading Cicero’s Republic: Patriotism and the Common Good
Augustine’s City of God, III: What was the Cause of Rome’s “Greatness” (Part II)
The Roman philosopher Cicero was the Plato and Aristotle of Rome. He was the foremost orator of his day and an important political philosopher who was cherished among Christians (and Augustine). Augustine even credits the writings of Cicero to helping him believe in God in Confessions. However, the warm remarks he gives to Cicero in … Continue reading Augustine’s City of God, III: What was the Cause of Rome’s “Greatness” (Part II)
Cicero’s On Obligations (Di Officiis)
Cicero, perhaps the most famous of the Roman philosophers, wrote an influential treatise on duties and obligations published after his death. De Officiis, along with his Republic/Commonwealth and Laws, serve as Cicero’s longstanding political legacy to the West. In fact, On Obligations was widely influential in that it influenced St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, becoming an integral part of the … Continue reading Cicero’s On Obligations (Di Officiis)
Cicero and the Foundations of Natural Law
Cicero is the most important of the Roman philosophers; a Roman Platonist and Stoic, he is responsible for attempting to synthesize strands of Platonic and Stoic thought into a coherent body of mostly political philosophy. It may not be farfetched to assert that Cicero is the first synthetic political philosopher and the second systematic political … Continue reading Cicero and the Foundations of Natural Law
