222 l/-95
striven for. For acts of choice and striving and wishing are directed at
predicates, just as impulses are. But we choose and wish, and similarly
strive, to have good things, which is why good things are worth choosing
and wishing for and striving for. For we choose to have prudence and
temperance, but not, by Zeus!, being prudent and being temperate, since
these are incorporeals and predicates.
Similarly, they say that all goods are worth abiding in and cleaving to
and analogously for the other virtues, even if they do not have proper
names. But all the advantages and similar things are to be abided in and
cleaved to. In the same way they suppose there is a difference between
things worth being cautious over and things which one is to be cautious
over and things which are not worth abiding in and things which are
not to be abided in; the same account applies to the other terms which
go with the vices.
11 g. They say that every honourable and good man is complete [perfect]
because he lacks none of the virtues. The base man, by contrast, is
incomplete, since he participates in none of the virtues. That is why
good men are always and under all conditions happy, and the base
unhappy. And
and Chrysippus says that momentary [happiness] does not differ from
the happiness of Zeus,
more worth choosing or more honourable or more majestic that that of
wtse men.
Zeno and the Stoic philosophers who follow him believe that there
are two classes of men, the virtuous and the base. And men of the virtuous
class employ all the virtues throughout their entire life, while the base
[em ploy] the vices. Hence, the one group is always [morally] perfect in
everything they apply themselves to, but the other group [always] makes
[moral] mistakes. And the virtuous man always uses his experience of
life in what he does, and so does everything well, insofar [as he acts]
prudently and temperately and in accordance with the other virtues. And
the base man by contrast [does everything] badly. And the virtuous man
is big and powerful and lofty and strong. Big, because he is able to
achieve his purposes and aims; powerful, because he is well developed
in all respects; lofty, because he participates in the height fitting for a
man who is noble and wise; and strong, because he has acquired the
fitting strength, being invincible and unbeatable in contests. Accordingly,
he is not compelled by anyone nor does he compel anyone; he neither
hinders nor is hindered; he is forced by no one and forces no one; he
neither dominates nor is dominated; neither harms nor is himself harmed;
neither meets with misfortune