Hellenistic Philosophy Introductory

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

Ethics 199
to desire, being a reasonable striving. So just as there are certain passions
which are forms of the primary ones, so too there are good states subordi-
nate to the primary; forms of wish are good will, kindliness, acceptance,
contentment; forms of caution are respect, sanctity; forms of joy are
enjoyment, good spirits, tranquillity.



  1. They say the wise man is also free of passions, because he is not
    disposed to them. And the base man is 'free of passions' in a different
    sense, which means the same as hard-hearted and cold. And the wise
    man is free of vanity, since he is indifferent to good and ill repute. And
    there is another type of freedom from vanity, i.e., heedlessness; such is
    the base man. And they say that all virtuous men are austere because
    they do not consort with pleasure nor do they tolerate hedonistic [actions
    and attitudes] from others; and there is another kind of austerity, in the
    same sense that wine is said to be 'austere' [harsh] (which is used medici-
    nally, but not much for drinking).

  2. The virtuous are sincere and protective of their own improvement,
    by means of a preparation which conceals what is base and makes evident
    the good things which are there. And they are not phony; for they
    have eliminated phoniness in their voice and appearance. And they are
    uninvolved; for they avoid doing anything which is not appropriate. And
    they will drink wine, but not get drunk. Again, [the wise man] will not
    go mad, although he will get strange presentations because of an excess
    of black bile or delirium-not in accordance with the account of what
    is worth choosing, but rather contrary to nature. Nor indeed will the
    wise man feel pain (since pain is an irrational contraction of the soul),
    as Apollodorus says in his Ethics.

  3. And they are godly; for they have in themselves a kind of god.
    And the base man is godless. And the godless are of two kinds, the one
    opposite to him who is godly, and the one who denies that the godly
    exists [i.e., the atheist]-and this is not a feature of every base man. The
    virtuous are also pious, for they have experience of what is lawful with
    respect to the gods and piety is a knowledge of how to serve the gods.
    And indeed they will also sacrifice to the gods and be sanctified, since
    they will avoid [moral] mistakes concerning the gods. And the gods
    admire them, since they are holy and just towards the divine. And only
    wise men are priests, for they have conducted an investigation into
    sacrifices, foundations, purifications and the other matters which are
    proper for the gods.

  4. The [Stoics] think that he [the wise man] will honour his parents
    and brothers in the second place, after the gods. They also say that love
    for one's children is natural to them and does not exist among the base.
    They also see fit to believe that [moral] mistakes are equal, according to

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