Hellenistic Philosophy Introductory

Ethics 203

best form of government is that which is a blend of democracy and

monarchy and aristocracy.

And this is the sort of thing they say in their ethical opinions, and

even more than this, together with the accompanying proofs. But let this

be our summary and elementary account.

John Stobaeus Anthology 2, 5-12
(pp. 57-116 W-H.)

[11-95]

5. The views of Zeno and the rest of the Stoics about the ethical part
   of philosophy.
   Sa. Zeno says that whatever participates in substance exists, and that
   of things which exist some are good, some bad and some indifferent.
   Good are things like this: prudence, temperance, justice, courage, and
   everything which either is virtue or participates in virtue. Bad are things
   like this: imprudence, wantonness, injustice, cowardice and everything
   which either is vice or participates in vice. Indifferent are things like
   this: life and death, good and bad reputation, pleasure and pain, wealth
   and poverty, health and disease, and things similar to these.
   Sb. Of goods, some are virtues, some are not. Prudence, then, and
   temperance and courage <and great-heartedness and strength
   of body and soul> are virtues; joy and good spirits and confidence and
   wish and such things are not virtues. Of virtues, some are kinds of
   knowledge of certain things and crafts, and some are not. Prudence, then,
   and temperance and justice and courage are kinds of knowledge of certain
   things and crafts; great-heartedness and strength of body and soul are
   neither kinds of knowledge of certain things nor crafts. Analogously, of
   bad things some are vices and some are not. Imprudence, then, and
   injustice and cowardice and pusillanimity and powerlessness are vices;
   pain and fear and such things are not vices. Of vices, some are kinds
   of ignorance of certain things and the absence of skill, some are not.
   Imprudence, then, and wantonness and injustice and cowardice are kinds
   of ignorance of certain things and the absence of skill. Pusillanimity and
   powerlessness are neither kinds of ignorance nor lacks
   of skill.
   Sbl. Prudence is knowledge of what one is to do and not to do and
   what is neither; or the knowledge in a naturally social
   animal of good things, bad things and what is neither (and they say that
   this [definition] is to be understood [to apply] in the case of the rest of
   the virtues too. Temperance is knowledge of what is to be chosen and
   avoided and what is neither. Justice is knowledge of the distribution of