Abstract

Arguing that Cicero is an important political philosopher, and not just a redactor of his sources, I examine Book I of his De Officiis with special attention to the perennial theme of "wisdom and power." I take wisdom, as I show Cicero does, to be shorthand for the pursuit of wisdom or, philosophy, and I take power for the life of politics or, the exercise of rule. ;De Officiis certainly is "about duties" and the practical virtues which the gentleman, citizen, and statesman carry out, not only in Cicero's Rome, but also, I argue, for all men of affairs in any regime. Cicero himself states in the work that he, and the very study of officium itself, is concerned with practical action, the life of politics and the ultimate benefit of the community, individual fellow citizens, and the res publica. Since, states Cicero, the study of officium is the most important study, it follows that the life of politics, the practical life, is superior to the life of philosophy. However, I show in this dissertation how Cicero weaves throughout his discussion of officia and honesta in Book I the tension posed to the practical life by the contemplative life and how Cicero presents philosophy's claim as the superior life. ;The clear superiority of the life of politics is complicated by the necessity of the existence of a good regime, e.g. the Roman Republic, or something equally valid in the eyes of Cicero for the exercise of the virtues of the man of politics to their fullest extent. Cicero all but says that the Roman Republic is dead. He has always been led back to philosophy when unable to participate in the politics of Rome for one reason or another. My contention is that Cicero is preparing his reader---directly, his son, Marcus, but also all students of political philosophy and, especially, future statesmen---not only for the possibility of the recovery of the Roman Republic through his teaching on duties, but also for living the best life possible in the absence of a decent regime