키케로의 「노년에 관하여」에 투영된 노년기의 신체관

Abstract

This study attempted to discuss view on the human body at old age through On Old Age written by Marcus Tullius Cicero (106~43 B.C.) who had been active as a man of letter, politician and orator in ancient Rome. The discussion on old age in his work was based on the issues like ‘the law of nature’ and ‘pleasure’ of Stoic and Epicurean philosophy which dominated the then society where he was active. ‘restriction of activities,’ ‘weakness,’ and ‘loss of pleasure,’ etc., the man reasons why the old age he suggested looked miserable are the results from physical factors, and it is not too much to say that his discussion itself constitutes a view on the human body. He shows the limitation of dualistic thinking by suggesting intellectual activities facing health issues such as restriction of activities and weakness of the body and stressing the superiority of them. In addition, he emphasizes the maintenance of health through discipline and temperance and encourages positive attitude to life at old age; however, as a bottom line, he sticks to the view on ‘the body as a means’ constituting life. Also he argues on loss of pleasure the human body at old age has by placing the superiority of the spiritual over the physical also in pleasure. The critical point of Cicero's view on the human body is, after all, that he stressed the superiority of the spiritual based on dualism so that he did not approach more straightforward and active thought of the human body. Nevertheless, it is meaningful that he enriched anthropological discussion by putting the human body at old age on an academic subject in the atmosphere of the time.