Literary Nomads

Roman Plow, Sovereign Tree: Seneca and Zhuangzi

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Can Stoicism answer our dilemma?

Is the suffering child a product of a world that demands every second and every soul be “useful”  to the state? By comparing the “Roman Plow” of duty to the “Sovereign Tree” of uselessness, we ask if our participation in the “Achievement Society” is actually what pays for global injustice and inequity.

Compare Seneca’s On the Shortness of Life with the Zhuangzi in this reflection on Stoicism vs. Daoism. Learn why “uselessness” is a survival strategy against the “Extraction Economy” and how Cincinnatus’s Roman Plow creates a utilitarian trap. Oh, and how The Expendables does, too.

Episode 6.33 –
Roman Plow, Sovereign Tree: Seneca and Zhuangzi
Readings & Resources:
  • Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. “On the Shortness of Life.” Gareth Williams, trans., 2003.
  • Zhuangzi. The Zhuangzi. Martin Palmer et. al., trans. 2020.
  • Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De Officiis (On Duties). Walter Miller, trans., 1913.  
  • Han, Byung-Chul. The Burnout Society. Stanford University Press, 2015.
  • Levinas, Emmanuel. Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority. Translated by Alphonso Lingis, Duquesne University Press, 1969.
    • Some Key Terms from this episode:

    • Otium honestum:  “Honest Leisure.” Tactical rest that must still serve the state—for Cicero, a productive leisure

    • Wuwei: (woo-way) - “Actionless action” that uses radical uselessness as a survival strategy against the empire.

    • Budeyi: (boo-day-yee) - Acting only when compelled by necessity, without ego or the desire to “fix” the world.

      Listener’s Guide Reflection Questions
      1. The Price of Being Useful: If you were only valued for what you could do for your community, what parts of your “inner calm” would you have to sacrifice?
      2. The Survival of the Gnarled: Zhuangzi’s tree survives because it is too twisted to be turned into a boat or a coffin. What “useless” traits have protected you from being used by others?
      3. The Chisel of Kindness: The emperors killed Hundun by trying to give him a “normal” face. Where have we tried to “fix” someone else’s life using our own standards, only to realize we were ignoring who they actually were?
      4. The Stolen Leisure: Seneca says we don’t have a short life, we just waste a lot of it. In a world where even our relaxation is “bought and sold,” how do you find time that truly belongs to you?.
      5. The Fluid Response: If you stopped acting out of “duty” and started acting out of “fluid response,” would you still work to end injustice? How differently?
        6. Complete Resources: https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/
        CHAPTERS

        00:00     The Beach, The Ships, The Trap of Time

        08:42     Intro Theme
        09:18     Seneca: “On the Shortness of Life”
        15:14     Negotium and Utilitarian Traps
        23:30     The Garden Wrecker: Zhuangzi
        31:44     The Emperor’s Chisel
        37:47     I’ll Exploit Myself, Thank You
        41:45     Closing Credits

         

        ===

        Transcript and Bibliography:  https://waywordsstudio.com/general/transcript/6-33-seneca-and-zhuangzi
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        Check out my introductory episodes (0.1-0.3) to find out what’s going on here! I’ve got an episode for readers, for teachers, and for students: https://waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/waywords-podcast/

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        Literary Nomads is the main program of Waywords Studio (https://waywordsstudio.com). The podcast posts new material each week, with thought-provoking examinations of literature around selected questions or themes and several smaller supplemental episodes in between the larger programs: history, writing, and contemporary applications of ideas.

        Visit us for expanded resources for guests and the Waywords community, for other programs and writing, and for opportunities to support our goal to expand reading. Resources available can include full bibliographies of material referenced, full and partial texts, annotated editions, supplemental and expanded episodes, fictional explorations, teaching and learning resources, additional essays, and online courses.

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        CREDITS:

        Original music by Randon Myles (https://randonmyles.com/)

        Chapter headings by Natalie Harrison and Sarah Skaleski

        USING THIS WORK:

        This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It is open to be used and adapted for all not-for-profit uses with proper attribution.

        MLA CITATION:

        Chisnell, Steve. “6.33: Roman Plow, Sovereign Tree: Seneca and Zhuangzi,” Literary Nomads. Waywords Studio, 1 May 2026, https://waywordsstudio.com/project/le-guin-omelas/.

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        Literary NomadsBy Steve Chisnell
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