05.04.2013 Views

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

156 MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

for giving our nature play we should view as a<br />

form <strong>of</strong> enjoyment. Atfd the opening is always<br />

there. The cylinder indeed cannot always enjoy<br />

its proper motion ; neither can water, nor fire, nor<br />

things which are at the disposition<br />

organic<br />

<strong>of</strong> the lower<br />

nature or <strong>of</strong> irrational soul : in their case<br />

lets and obstacles abound. But mind and reason<br />

have the power <strong>of</strong> finding a way at will through<br />

every impediment.<br />

Picture the facility with which<br />

reason will find itself a way, as that by which fire<br />

ascends, or a s<strong>to</strong>ne drops, or a cylinder rolls<br />

downhill it leaves nothing more <strong>to</strong> crave for.<br />

Remaining interferences either affect the body only,<br />

which is a dead thing, or else, apart from the<br />

assumptions and admissions <strong>of</strong> reason itself, have<br />

no power <strong>to</strong> crush or <strong>to</strong> inflict any injury what-<br />

soever ; otherwise the person exposed <strong>to</strong> them<br />

would thereby be injured. For observe in the<br />

case <strong>of</strong> all other forms <strong>of</strong> being, any injury be-<br />

falling them implies deterioration <strong>of</strong> the object ;<br />

but in this case the man is one may say bettered<br />

and improved, by making good use <strong>of</strong> circum-<br />

stances. Nothing in fine can hurt the true citizen,<br />

which does not hurt the city ; and nothing can<br />

hurt the city, which does not first hurt Law. But

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!