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

BOOK II. xxvi. 1-7it is clear that lie is not doing what he wishes. Forwhat does the thief wish to achieve ? His owninterest. Therefore, if thievery is against hisintei*est, he is not doing what he wishes. Now everyrational soul is by nature offended by contradiction ;and so, as long as a man does not understand that heis involved in contradiction, there isnothing toprevent him from doing contradictory things, butwhen he has come to understand the contradiction,he must of necessity abandon and avoid it, just as abitter necessity compels a man to renounce the falsewhen he perceives that it is false ;but as long as thefalsehood does not appear, he assents to it as thetruth.He, then, who can show to each man the contradictionwhich causes him to err, and can clearlybring home to him how he is not doing what hewishes, and isdoing what he does not wish, is strongin argument, and at the same time effective both inencouragement and refutation. For as soon as anyoneshows a man this, he will of his own accordabandon what he is doing. But so long as you donot point this out, be not surprised if he persists inhis error ;for he does it because he has an impressionthat he is right. That iswhy Socrates, because hetrusted in this faculty, used to " say; I am not in thehabit of calling any other witness to what I say, butI am always satisfied with my fellow-disputant, andI call for his vote and summon him as a witness, andhe, though but a single person, is sufficient for me inplace of all men," 1 For Socrates knew what moves1Compare II. 12, 5, and the note on that passage.VOL. I.1Supplied by Wolf,F F433