Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
p. 40and Antoninus are the same, and Epictetus is the best authority for the explanation of the philosophical language of Antoninus and the exposition of his opinions. But the method of the two philosophers is entirely different. Epictetus addressed himself to his hearers in a continuous discourse and in a familiar and simple manner.
Antoninus wrote down his reflections for his own use only, in short, unconnected paragraphs, which are often obscure. The Stoics made three divisions of philosophy, — Physic (<^>u(7ikov), Ethic (^0ucov), and Logic (A.oyi*oi/) (viii. 13).
This division, we are told by Diogenes, was made by Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic sect, and by Chrysippus ; but these philosophers placed the three divisions in the following order, — Logic, Physic, Ethic. It appears, however, that this division was made before Zeno's time, and acknowledged by Plato, as Cicero remarks (Acad. Post. i. 5.). Logic is not synonymous with our term Logic in the narrower sense of that word.
Cleanthes, a Stoic, subdivided the three divisions, and made six, — Dialectic and Rhetoric, comprised in Logic ; Ethic and Politic ; Physic and Theology. This division was merely for practical use, for all Philosophy is one. Even among the earliest Stoics Logic, or Dialectic, does not occupy the same place as in Plato : it is considered only as an instrument
MARCUS AURELIUS ANT 0 NIX US. 41 which is to be used for the other divisions of Philosophy. An exposition of the earlier Stoic doctrines and of their modifications would require a volume. My object is to explain only the opinions of Antoninus, so far as they can be collected from his book.
According to the subdivision of Cleanthes, Physic and Theology go together, or the study of the nature of Things, and the study of the nature of the Deity, so far as man can understand the Deity, and of his government of the universe. This division or subdivision is not formally adopted by Antoninus, for, as already observed, there is no method in his book; but it is virtually contained in it.
Cleanthes also connects Ethic and Politic, or the study of the principles of morals and the study of the constitution of civil society; and undoubtedly he did well in subdividing Ethic into two parts, Ethic in the narrower sense and Politic ; for though the two are intimately connected, they are also very distinct, and many questions can only be properly discussed by carefully observing the distinction. Antoninus does not treat of Politic.
His subject is Ethic, and Ethic in its practical application to his own conduct in life as a man and as a governor. His Ethic is founded on his doctrines about man's nature, the Universal Nature, and the relation of every man to everything else. It is therefore p. 42intimately and inseparably connected with Physic, or the nature of Tilings, and with Theology, or the Nature of the Deity.
He advises us to examine well all the impressions on our minds (Jhxvtihjuii) and to form a right judgment of them, to make just conclusions, and to inquire into the meanings of words, and so far to apply Dialetic ; but he has no attempt at any exposition of Dialectic, and his philosophy is in substance purely moral and practical. He says (viii.
13), "Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every impression on the soul,1 apply to it the principles of Physic, of Ethic, and of Dialectic : " which is only another way of telling us to examine the impression in every possible way. In another passage (iii.
11) he says, "To the aids which have been mentioned, let this one still be added : make for thyself a definition or description of the object (to ^avrao-rdi/) which is presented to thee, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in its substance, in its 1 The original is M irdo^s <f>arraalai.
We have no word which expresses <t>avraaia, for it is not only the sensuous appearance which comes from an external object, which object is called rb <pavTa<rr6v, but it is also the thought or feeling or opinion which is produced even when there is no correpondirii* external object before us. Accordingly everything which moves the soul is Qavrajarbv, and produces a <patn-a<rLa.
In this extract Antoninus says <f>vaio\oyeiv, -waOoXoyeTv, Slo- \eKTiKev€<r6ai. I have translated vadoXoycTv by using the word Moral (Ethic), and that is the meaning here.
40 PHILOSOPHY. and Antoninus are the same, and Epictetus is the best authority for the explanation of the philosophical language of Antoninus and the exposition of his opinions. But the method of the two philosophers is entirely different. Epictetus addressed himself to his hearers in a continuous discourse and in a familiar and simple manner.
Antoninus wrote down his reflections for his own use only, in short, unconnected paragraphs, which are often obscure. The Stoics made three divisions of philosophy, — Physic (<^>u(7ikov), Ethic (^0ucov), and Logic (A.oyi*oi/) (viii. 13).
This division, we are told by Diogenes, was made by Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic sect, and by Chrysippus ; but these philosophers placed the three divisions in the following order, — Logic, Physic, Ethic. It appears, however, that this division was made before Zeno's time, and acknowledged by Plato, as Cicero remarks (Acad. Post. i. 5.). Logic is not synonymous with our term Logic in the narrower sense of that word.
Cleanthes, a Stoic, subdivided the three divisions, and made six, — Dialectic and Rhetoric, comprised in Logic ; Ethic and Politic ; Physic and Theology. This division was merely for practical use, for all Philosophy is one. Even among the earliest Stoics Logic, or Dialectic, does not occupy the same place as in Plato : it is considered only as an instrument
MARCUS AURELIUS ANT 0 NIX US. 41 which is to be used for the other divisions of Philosophy. An exposition of the earlier Stoic doctrines and of their modifications would require a volume. My object is to explain only the opinions of Antoninus, so far as they can be collected from his book.
According to the subdivision of Cleanthes, Physic and Theology go together, or the study of the nature of Things, and the study of the nature of the Deity, so far as man can understand the Deity, and of his government of the universe. This division or subdivision is not formally adopted by Antoninus, for, as already observed, there is no method in his book; but it is virtually contained in it.
Cleanthes also connects Ethic and Politic, or the study of the principles of morals and the study of the constitution of civil society; and undoubtedly he did well in subdividing Ethic into two parts, Ethic in the narrower sense and Politic ; for though the two are intimately connected, they are also very distinct, and many questions can only be properly discussed by carefully observing the distinction. Antoninus does not treat of Politic.
His subject is Ethic, and Ethic in its practical application to his own conduct in life as a man and as a governor. His Ethic is founded on his doctrines about man's nature, the Universal Nature, and the relation of every man to everything else. It is therefore 42 PHILOSOPHY. intimately and inseparably connected with Physic, or the nature of Tilings, and with Theology, or the Nature of the Deity. He advises us to examine well all the impressions on our minds (Jhxvtihjuii) and to form a right judgment of them, to make just conclusions, and to inquire into the meanings of words, and so far to apply Dialetic ; but he has no attempt at any exposition of Dialectic, and his philosophy is in substance purely moral and practical. He says (viii. 13), "Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every impression on the soul,1 apply to it the principles of Physic, of Ethic, and of Dialectic : " which is only another way of telling us to examine the impression in every possible way. In another passage (iii. 11) he says, "To the aids which have been mentioned, let this one still be added : make for yourself a definition or description of the object (to ^avrao-rdi/) which is presented to you, so as to see distinctly what kind of a thing it is in its substance, in its 1 The original is M irdo^s <f>arraalai. We have no word which expresses <t>avraaia, for it is not only the sensuous appearance which comes from an external object, which object is called rb <pavTa<rr6v, but it is also the thought or feeling or opinion which is produced even when there is no correpondirii* external object before us. Accordingly everything which moves the soul is Qavrajarbv, and produces a <patn-a<rLa. In this extract Antoninus says <f>vaio\oyeiv, -waOoXoyeTv, Slo- \eKTiKev€<r6ai. I have translated vadoXoycTv by using the word Moral (Ethic), and that is the meaning here.
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