Detached Sociability in Seneca's Philosophy

This dissertation proposes "detached sociability" as an interpretive framework for understanding how Seneca navigates the tension within Stoicism between self-sufficiency and the imperative to benefit others. By detached sociability, I mean a mode of social engagement anchored in self- sufficiency, in which social relationships can be cultivated without being treated as necessary conditions for flourishing. Through close readings of Seneca's prose works, the dissertation traces how Seneca draws on the language of Roman law and everyday experience to articulate detached sociability across two social domains, friendship and family. I argue that his engagement with practical ethical difficulties constitutes a genuine philosophical contribution to the Stoic tradition.