In Seneca’s sixth letter to Lucilius, he writes that the behaviour of a teacher could instruct more than any moral lesson they taught, noting that Plato and Aristotle “derived more from Socrates’ character than from his words.’’

Encapsulated in Mandela Day, July 18, is the recognition of Mandela’s life, one that offered the same sort of example. The purpose of the day is twofold: to celebrate Mandela’s life, and to inspire us to try to emulate some of his best efforts. The day asks people to dedicate 67 minutes of their day to community service — the number being derived from the years Mandela spent in service of his own.

With his passing having occurred so recently, it’s likely that this year’s celebration will have more of a pulse around it and will, perhaps, also motivate more people to learn from Mandela’s life and character.

His autobiography can be particularly informative in this respect. Reading through it, one never encounters the type of solipsism guaranteed to those who are victims of oppression and injustice. If I had to offer the briefest synopsis of it, I would try to include some declarative statement about the importance of dignity and its relation to freedom. When the prison guards would tell him to run to his jail cell, he would walk; when given shorts to wear, he would ask for pants. These small acts prove that even the smallest acts of rebellion are essentially attempts at freedom.

Mandela’s forgiving nature is especially highlighted by his actions after his prison release. He was forced to walk and meet with politicians, many of whom only wanted to absolve themselves of their complicit involvement in his, and South Africa’s, subjugation.

Seneca’s greatest contribution to the Stoic philosophy was his definition of it. He saw it as a philosophy teaching people not how to live life, but how to deal with the sea of troubles that accompanied it. In life, Mandela often quoted Shakespeare, one of his favourite sayings being that “the ready is everything.’’ He spent decades in prison for trying to oppose an evident injustice. He lost his freedom and was relegated to the company of criminals on a secluded and destitute island.

But, he dealt with these trials in such a way that only inspires the mind, and acts as a perpetual source of inspiration for those who are facing hardships in their own lives. If Mandela Day can act a catalyst for people to help their own communities, then perhaps it can also entice people to study the life of Mandela and learn much from it.

Sincerely,
Michael Johnson,
SFU Student