If there is providence, why do terrible things happen to good men? The piece of writing “Of Providence” by Seneca, tries to answer this question from a divine viewpoint. Seneca argues that those close to God do have to pass hurdles, but do not consider themselves to be suffering. This essay will agree with Seneca’s claims.
In the context of this writing, terrible things or “evils” refer to pain, defeat, tribulations and loss. Seneca claims that good men are those who are loved by God.
Seneca opens up his argument by comparing the love of God, to the love of a father. Fathers are generally thought of as the disciplinarians of a household, while mothers provide love, comfort and care. While fathers also care for their children, they show their …show more content…
On the contrary, trials and hardship, which are generally perceived as bad things, tend to result in positive outcomes, such as superiority, greatness and self-sufficiency. This is the basis of Seneca’s conclusion, which states that the original question is distorted and misleading. According to Seneca, God would never let “evils befall good men”, evils referring to “crimes and scandalous wickedness, daring thoughts, grasping schemes, blind lusts, and avarice coveting its neighbor’s goods”(Seneca VI). Many instances that occur in daily life can prove Seneca’s argument to be valid. For example, take Bill Gates. Now he is known as the richest person in the world, but he did not start that way. He went through times of failure, misfortune and loss. However, these troubles only served to strengthen his character and led him to persevere till he was able to reach his status as a business tycoon. In order to validate Seneca’s other point, regarding pleasure; one can look at a modern family. One can often see children scream and cause a fuss in order to get a toy or sweets. This can only be blamed on the parents, who spoiled the child from a young age rendering it unable to cope with the slightest
In the context of this writing, terrible things or “evils” refer to pain, defeat, tribulations and loss. Seneca claims that good men are those who are loved by God.
Seneca opens up his argument by comparing the love of God, to the love of a father. Fathers are generally thought of as the disciplinarians of a household, while mothers provide love, comfort and care. While fathers also care for their children, they show their …show more content…
On the contrary, trials and hardship, which are generally perceived as bad things, tend to result in positive outcomes, such as superiority, greatness and self-sufficiency. This is the basis of Seneca’s conclusion, which states that the original question is distorted and misleading. According to Seneca, God would never let “evils befall good men”, evils referring to “crimes and scandalous wickedness, daring thoughts, grasping schemes, blind lusts, and avarice coveting its neighbor’s goods”(Seneca VI). Many instances that occur in daily life can prove Seneca’s argument to be valid. For example, take Bill Gates. Now he is known as the richest person in the world, but he did not start that way. He went through times of failure, misfortune and loss. However, these troubles only served to strengthen his character and led him to persevere till he was able to reach his status as a business tycoon. In order to validate Seneca’s other point, regarding pleasure; one can look at a modern family. One can often see children scream and cause a fuss in order to get a toy or sweets. This can only be blamed on the parents, who spoiled the child from a young age rendering it unable to cope with the slightest