The Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius - College of Stoic Philosophers

THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANTONINUS 37
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
(tfivariKov), Ethic (r)6iKov), and Logic Qwyi/eov) (vm, 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 (A cad.
Post, i, 5). /<ogic
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.
or Dialectic does not
Even among the earliest Stoics Logic
occupy the same place as in Plato it : is considered only
as an instrument 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 Tilings,
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 constitu
tion of civil society and ; undoubtedly he did well in sub
dividing 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