Hellenistic Philosophy Introductory

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

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opposed to the above-mentioned preferred things in the body and exter-
nally.
Neither preferred nor rejected in the soul are presentation, assent and
things like that; in the body: fair or dark complexion, having blue eyes
and all pleasure and pain and anything else of this sort; in external things
what is neither preferred are things like this: whatever,
being cheap and bringing nothing useful, provides by itself an utterly
tiny amount of usefulness.
Since the soul is more important than the body, they also say that the
things of the soul which are natural and preferred have more value for
the natural life than bodily and external things; for example, natural
ability in the soul is more helpful for virtue than natural ability in the
body, and similarly for the others.
7c. Again, of things indifferent, they say that some are stimulative of
impulse towards [themselves], some stimulative of impulse away from
[themselves], and some stimulative of impulse neither towards nor away
from [themselves]. Those things which we said are natural are stimulative
of impulse towards [themselves]; those which are unnatural are stimula-
tive of impulse away from [themselves]; those which are neither are
stimulative of impulse neither towards nor away from [themselves]; for
example, having an odd or even number of hairs.
7d. Of things which are indifferent and natural, some are primary
natural things, some natural by participation. Primary natural things are
a motion or state which occurs in accordance with the spermatic princi-
ples, such as health and sense-perception (I mean an
act of grasping) and strength. By participation: everything which partici-
pates in a motion or state which is in accordance with the spermatic
principles, for example, a sound hand and a healthy body and senses
which are not impaired. Similarly, for the unnatural things [the situation
is] analogous.
7e. Everything which is natural is worth taking and everything which
is natural is worth not taking. Of natural things, some are worth
taking in themselves, some because of other things. In themselves: every-
thing which is stimulative of impulse in such a manner as to encourage
[someone] to pursue it or to hang on to it, such as health, good sense
perception, freedom from pain, bodily beauty. Instrumentally: everything
which is stimulative of impulse by reference to other things and not in
such a manner as to encourage [someone to pursue] it, such as wealth,
reputation, and things like these. Similarly, of unnatural things some are
in themselves not worth taking and some because they are instrumental
to things which are in themselves not worth taking.
7f. Everything which is natural has value and everything which is

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