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
Carneades asserts that there are two kinds of appearances; and that the
first kind may be divided into those which can be perceived and those
which cannot; and the other into those which are probable and those which
are not. Therefore, those which are pronounced to be contrary to the
senses and contrary to evidentness belong to the former division; but that
nothing can be objected to those of the second kind. Wherefore his opinion
is, that there is no appearance of such a character that perception will
follow it, but many such as to draw after them probability. Indeed, it
would be contrary to nature if nothing were probable; and that entire
overturning of life, which you were speaking of, Lucullus, would ensue.
Therefore there are many things which may be proved by the senses; only
one must recollect that there is not in them anything of such a character
that there may not also be something which is false, but which in no
respect differs from it in appearance; and so, whatever happens which is
probable in appearance, if nothing offers itself which is contrary to that
probability, the wise man will use it; and in this way the whole course of
life will be regulated.
And, in truth, that wise man whom you are bringing on the stage, is often
guided by what is probable, not being comprehended, nor perceived, nor
assented to, but only likely; and unless a man acts on such circumstances
there is an end to the whole system of life. For what must happen? Has the
wise man, when he embarks on board ship, a positive comprehension and
perception in his mind that he will have a successful voyage? How can he?
But suppose he goes from this place to Puteoli, thirty furlongs, in a
seaworthy vessel, with a good pilot, and in fine weather like this, it
appears probable that he will arrive there safe. According to appearances
of this kind, then, he will make up his mind to act or not to act; and he
will be more willing to find the snow white than Anaxagoras, who not only
denied that fact, but who affirmed, because he knew that water, from which
snow was congealed, was of a dark colour, that snow did not even look
white. And he will be influenced by anything which affects him in such a
way that the appearance is probable, and not interfered with by any
obstacle. For such a man is not cut out of stone or hewn out of oak. He
has a body, he has a mind, he is influenced by intellect, he is influenced
by his senses, so that many things appear to him to be true, and yet not
to have conspicuous and peculiar characteristics by which to be perceived.
And therefore the wise man does not assent to them, because it is possible
that something false may exist of the same kind as this true thing. Nor do
we speak against the senses differently from the Stoics, who say that many
things are false, and are very different from the appearance which they
present to the senses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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