Vittorio Bufacchi’s Why Cicero Matters sets out to champion Cicero as a vital guide for navigating the precarious state of democracy in the 21st century. It aims to establish the importance of Cicero’s philosophical and political thought over that of Caesar, offering a different way to think about political engagement today. The book reflects on the intersection of philosophy and politics, aiming to counterbalance the disproportionate attention given to Caesar, and ultimately seeks to help us realize a new political imaginary grounded in Ciceronian ideals to reinforce our republics.
The book is divided into six chapters, each exploring different facets of Cicero’s thought and its relevance today. Chapter 1 focuses on Cicero’s love for philosophy, establishing his significant contribution to the field and how it impacted his political thought. Chapter 2 investigates On Duties, his ethical treatise, emphasizing the inseparability of politics and ethics. Chapter 3 delves into On the Republic, exploring the idea of a mixed constitution and its virtues. Chapters 4 and 5 examine On Friendship and On Old Age respectively, highlighting the necessity of social communication and the societal view of aging. Chapter 6 delves into how Cicero can serve as a role model for us in the 21st century, offering timeless wisdom for navigating contemporary challenges. Finally, the Epilogue draws explicit connections between Cicero’s thought and our present political landscape.
Chapter 1, “Cicero, Homo Philosophicus,” effectively establishes Cicero’s unique position as a philosopher who actively engaged in politics, a combination often viewed with skepticism in the modern world. The author highlights the tension between philosophical ideals and the pragmatic compromises often required in political life, emphasizing Cicero’s ability to navigate this challenging terrain. By contrasting Cicero with other prominent philosophers like Plato, Seneca, and Aristotle—who never held political office—Bufacchi underscores the distinctive nature of Cicero’s contributions. Furthermore, the comparison with Julius Caesar, a figure renowned for military prowess rather than philosophical depth, solidifies Cicero’s unique standing.
However, despite this solid start, the book falls short in delivering a thorough exploration of Cicero’s works. It gets sidetracked with historical anecdotes, like Mark Antony’s rivalry with Cicero and Shakespeare’s portrayal of it, leaving readers wanting more depth. The narrative frequently strays into digressions, leaving key aspects of Cicero’s contributions underexplored.
Chapter 2, “Politics as Ethics,” provides a valuable overview of Book 1 of Cicero’s On Duties (De Officiis), focusing on the concept of honestum.[1] Bufacchi captures well the role of trust and social cooperation in Cicero’s theory of justice. Trust, in Cicero’s view, is a cornerstone of justice and social cohesion, which makes any society strong. Justice for Cicero, as Bufacchi notes, is based on reciprocity and our duty (officium) to others. This requires a mutual expectation that others will act justly and not harm us—creating a foundation for a stable and cooperative society.
What sets Cicero apart from his Greek predecessors, as Bufacchi observes, is that his theory of justice and duty is not something abstract or unattainable. Rather, Cicero’s ethics is grounded in practical realities, making it more relevant to the complexities of political life. This practical application of philosophy makes Cicero a compelling figure for our time, as his vision of justice promotes both ethical conduct and the stability of society.
This chapter, while strong, focuses only on On Duties Book 1, whereas a broader engagement with Books 2 and 3—which explore expediency and the harmony between moral rectitude and expediency—would have provided a fuller understanding of Cicero’s ethical vision. The chapter does not connect Cicero’s ideas to modern ethical dilemmas, leaving the potential to compare Cicero’s writings on moral duty and governance with modern political challenges untapped.
Bufacchi is clear in distinguishing Cicero’s conception of justice from the modern social contract tradition, citing Cicero’s lack of a “state of nature” concept as decisive. However, given Cicero’s extensive use of contractual language, his emphasis on civic trust, and his vision of justice as foundational to communal life, some readers may find the sharp distinction under-argued. Bufacchi might have clarified why the absence of a “state of nature” should outweigh these significant similarities, or at least addressed the ways in which Cicero’s account prefigures later contractarian thinking.
Chapter 3, “The People’s Republic,” sets out to connect Cicero’s political philosophy to the modern tradition of Civic Republicanism, focusing on themes such as citizenship, equality, and the dangers of arbitrary domination. Bufacchi effectively introduces key distinctions between liberal and republican conceptions of freedom, with particular attention to the idea of freedom as non-domination. He illustrates these points with examples from Roman history, including Sulla’s proscriptions and Caesar’s clemency, and offers a clear explanation of the stakes of republican citizenship.
However, the chapter’s engagement with Cicero’s De Re Publica is somewhat limited. The discussion of Cicero’s advocacy for a mixed constitution is sound, and the author rightly notes the influence of Polybius. Discussion of the broader Roman history and background material—for example, the extended discussion of Sulla, Caesar, and proscriptions—although interesting, sometimes overshadows direct engagement with Cicero’s own republicanism. As a result, readers looking for a deeper analysis of De Re Publica or of Cicero’s theory of political participation and equality may find the chapter less substantial than anticipated.
Bufacchi’s discussion of Cicero’s neologisms and contributions to Latin philosophical vocabulary is engaging and reflects a real strength of the book. While this focus at times draws attention away from the chapter’s central political themes, it does succeed in highlighting Cicero’s important contribution to the development of philosophical vocabulary in Latin. Similarly, the treatment of equality, introduced as a central theme, is thought-provoking, though the connection to Cicero’s arguments in De Re Publica could be further developed. Bufacchi’s concluding claim that Cicero “highlighted the importance of equality in these institutional arrangements” (p. 77) is well-founded and raises important questions, inviting a deeper exploration of this theme, especially through closer textual analysis. Overall, while the chapter succeeds in illustrating why Cicero matters for ongoing debates about republicanism and the common good, it leaves some of the key philosophical and textual questions underexplored.
Chapter 4, “The Value of Friendship,” sets out to explore Cicero’s De Amicitia and its contemporary relevance, particularly in the context of digital relationships. Bufacchi begins with a useful discussion of Plato and Aristotle on friendship, which gives readers a clear sense of the philosophical background from which Cicero draws and against which he develops his own views. This provides a solid foundation for understanding Cicero’s distinctive contributions.
Historical anecdotes—particularly those involving Caesar and Mark Antony—are engaging and help situate Cicero’s reflections in their political and personal context. However, the connection between these anecdotes and Cicero’s core philosophical arguments could have been made stronger. At times, the narrative shifts away from a sustained analysis of De Amicitia and the broader implications of friendship for civil society.
Bufacchi also outlines Cicero’s three reasons for valuing friendship and touches on the political implications of friendship—especially its potential role in resisting tyranny—but these points are not fully interrogated. The chapter would have been strengthened by a closer examination of how Cicero’s understanding of friendship fits into his broader theory of republicanism and civic duty.
Overall, this chapter succeeds in introducing readers to Cicero’s theory of friendship and its significance today. Bufacchi draws an effective parallel between Cicero’s understanding of true friendship and the often superficial nature of “cyber-friendships” in the modern age. This comparison gives the chapter a timely relevance and is one of its main strengths. The conclusion, which contrasts Cicero’s account of friendship with the experience of digital social networks, is especially strong and demonstrates how classical philosophy can illuminate contemporary questions.
Chapter 5, “Getting Old with Decorum,” addresses an important societal issue: how old age is viewed. Drawing from Cicero’s De Senectute, Bufacchi touches on the modern perception of elderly people as burdensome—a point that resonates with contemporary societal debates. What this chapter does especially well is to set Cicero apart from predecessors such as Aristotle who described old people as cowardly. Bufacchi notes (correctly, on p. 106) how Cicero’s more positive and dignified view of old age offers a stark contrast. Cicero’s reflections provide valuable insights into the dignity of aging, and Bufacchi uses this comparison effectively to highlight Cicero’s relevance in addressing a key social issue today.
Chapter 6, “Rome Needs Philosophy,” aims to position Cicero as a model for civic engagement in the 21st century by emphasizing the relevance of his philosophical outlook for modern democracy. Bufacchi is explicit about his intention to offer a “progressive” reading of Cicero, connecting his ideas to contemporary concerns about authoritarianism, civic virtue, and the value of philosophy in public life. The chapter’s attention to Cicero’s wit and personality—particularly the anecdotes about his humor and its role in his political downfall—serves to humanize Cicero and effectively reminds readers that even celebrated philosophers and writers have their shortcomings. These insights sometimes come at the expense of a more sustained discussion of Cicero’s philosophical contributions and their direct applicability today. As a result, the case for Cicero as a practical role model for the modern world is less fully developed than the chapter’s title and stated aims suggest.
In the Epilogue, Bufacchi suggests that Cicero had sympathy for the agrarian reforms of the Gracchi (p. 131), but just two pages later notes that Cicero himself opposed these reforms at the outset of his consulship. This apparent contradiction is left unexplained, and no evidence is given to support the claim of Cicero’s sympathy. In De Officiis, Cicero is clear in his criticism of such reforms. Readers would benefit from a more careful consideration of the sources or reasoning behind such statements. This lack of clarity is representative of a broader tendency in the book to assert rather than argue, which may leave some readers unconvinced.
Overall, Why Cicero Matters offers an accessible introduction and presents a number of engaging anecdotes, but it often diverges from its stated aims by prioritizing biographical details and literary digressions over sustained philosophical analysis. For readers unfamiliar with Cicero, the book serves as an entry point to understanding the connections between Cicero’s ideas and contemporary issues. While it is challenging to cover such a broad range of topics within a single volume, Bufacchi succeeds in providing a platform from which further exploration of Cicero’s relevance can proceed. Readers seeking an in-depth philosophical treatment may find the coverage somewhat superficial, but the book nonetheless opens up important avenues for further discussion of Cicero’s significance today.
Notes
[1] Bufacchi’s translation of honestum as ‘honor’ is only one of the possible translations for the concept. It is difficult to capture the meaning of the Latin term with one single English term. For instance, there are other translations of honestum as ‘moral rectitude’ or ‘moral goodness.’