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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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60 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

13 I consist <strong>of</strong> two elements, the causal and the<br />

material ; neither <strong>of</strong> which can perish or cease <strong>to</strong><br />

exist, any more than they came in<strong>to</strong> being from<br />

previous non-existence. It follows then that<br />

every part <strong>of</strong> me will be co-ordinated by change<br />

in<strong>to</strong> some other part <strong>of</strong> the world-order, and that<br />

again in<strong>to</strong> some new part, and so on ad infinitum.<br />

My existence is but a stage in the succession, and<br />

so <strong>to</strong>o that <strong>of</strong> my parents,<br />

and so backwards once<br />

more ad infinitum. There is no objection <strong>to</strong> this<br />

view, even supposing the world is ordered in<br />

finite cosmic cycles.<br />

14 Reason and the reasoning process<br />

are in<br />

themselves and their action self-sufficing faculties.<br />

They derive their impulse from their own begin-<br />

end. Hence<br />

ning ; they march <strong>to</strong> their appointed<br />

the term rectitude l<br />

applied <strong>to</strong> conduct, signifying<br />

that it never swerves from the right path.<br />

15 Nothing strictly appertains <strong>to</strong> man, which is<br />

not appointed for man, as man. Such things are<br />

not among man's requirements, they<br />

have no<br />

warranty in man's nature, and they do not perfect<br />

or complete that nature. Neither therefore does<br />

1 The etymological correspondence between KaT6p6u

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