Volume 1 - Discourses - Books I - II - College of Stoic Philosophers

CHAPTER IThat confidence does not conflict with cautionPERHAPS the following- contention of the philosophersappears paradoxical to some, but neverthelesslet us to the best of our ability consider whether It istrue that ee we ought to do everything both cautiouslyand confidently at the same time." For cautionseems to be in a way contrary to confidence, andcontraries are by no means consistent. But thatwhich appears to many to be paradoxical in thematter under discussion seems to rne to involvesomething of this sort : If we demanded that a manshould employ both caution and confidence in regardto the same things, then we would be justly chargedwith uniting qualities that are not to be united.But, as a matter of fact, what is there strange aboutthe saying? For if the statements which have oftenbeen made and often proved are sound, namely that"the nature of the good as well as of the evil lies ina use of the impressions of the senses, but the thingswhich lie outside the province of the moral purposeadmit neither the nature of the evil, nor the natureof the good " ;what is there paradoxical about thecontention of the philosophers, if they " say, Wherethe things that lie outside the province of the moralpurpose are involved,, there show confidence, batwhere the things that lie within the province of themoral purpose are involved, there show caution"?For if the evil lies in an evil exercise of the moral213