Individuality and hierarchy in Ciceros De Officiis

What is it about?

Cicero's De Officiis is one of the most influential works of Western moral and political philosophy. This paper demonstrates that Cicero's work contains a theory of unique human personality that balances a vision of better and worse ways of life against the egalitarian implications of natural human diversity.

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Why is it important?

As a historical matter, it is often asserted that the idea of human uniqueness or "personality" arrives in Western political thought only with the Renaissance. This paper challenges that narrative, and suggests that such a concept was already present in Cicero's thought. Moreover, Cicero's argument is addressed to his son on the cusp of adulthood in a way that ensures its relevance even to contemporary young adults who are attempting to choose life paths for themselves.