The Academic Questions, Treatise De Finibus, and Tusculan Disputations, of M.T. Cicero, With a Sketch of the Greek Philosophers Mentioned by CiceroCicero, Marcus Tullius
Philosophy
The Academic Questions, Treatise De Finibus, and Tusculan Disputations, of M.T. Cicero, With a Sketch of the Greek Philosophers Mentioned by Cicero
Cicero, Marcus Tullius
Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Happiness -- Early works to 1800
expression, and which they call κατορθώματα, contain in them the whole
completeness of virtue. For wisdom is the only thing which is contained
wholly in itself; and this is not the case with the other arts.
And it is only out of ignorance that the object of the art of medicine or
navigation is compared with the object of wisdom; for wisdom embraces
greatness of mind and justice, and judges all the accidents which befal
mankind beneath itself: and this too is not the case in the other arts.
But no one will be able to maintain those very virtues of which I have
just made mention, unless he lays down a rule that there is nothing which
is of any importance, nothing which differs from anything else, except
what is honourable or disgraceful.
VIII. Let us see now how admirably these rules follow from those
principles which I have already laid down. For as this is the ultimate
(_extremum_) point, (for you have noticed, I dare say, that I translate
what the Greek philosopher calls τέλος, sometimes by the word _extremum_,
sometimes by _ultimum_, and sometimes by _summum_, and instead of
_extremum_ or _ultimum_, I may also use the word _finis_,)—as, then, this
is the ultimate point, to live in a manner suitable to and harmonising
with nature; it follows of necessity that all wise men do always live
happily, perfectly, and fortunately; that they are hindered by nothing,
embarrassed by nothing; that they are in want of nothing. And that which
holds together not more that school of which I am speaking than our lives
and fortunes, that is to say, the principle of accounting what is
honourable to be the sole good, may indeed easily be embellished and
enlarged upon at great length, with great richness of illustration, with
great variety of carefully chosen expressions, and with the most pompous
sentiments in a rhetorical manner; but I prefer the brief, acute,
conclusive arguments of the Stoics. Now their conclusions are arrived at
in this manner: “Everything which is good is praiseworthy; but everything
which is praiseworthy is honourable;—therefore, everything which is good
is honourable.” Does not this appear properly deduced? Undoubtedly;—for
the result which was obtained from the two premises which were assumed,
you see was contained in them. But of the two premises from which the
conclusion was inferred it is only the major one which can be
contradicted—if you say that it is not the case, that everything which is
good is praiseworthy: for it is granted that whatever is praiseworthy is
honourable. But it is utterly absurd to say, that there is anything good
which is not to be sought for; or, that there is anything which ought to
be sought for which is not pleasing; or, that if it is pleasing it ought
not likewise to be loved. Then it ought also to be approved of. Then it is
praiseworthy. But what is praiseworthy is honourable. And so the result
is, that whatever is good is also honourable. In the next place, I ask,
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