Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE STANDING-GROUND OF PHILOSOPHY 195Logic, Physics, and Ethics, but the former two of theseretreated so far into the background that Ethicsappeared to be the essential if not the only subjecttreated. It was1 especially the education of youthin moral virtue which was expected of philosophy. " Asgymnastics and medical science provide for the healthand strength of the body," says Plutarch in his treatiseon education, " so philosophy alone heals the weaknessand sickness of the soul. By it and with it we learnwhat is noble and what base, what right and whatwrong, what to strive after and what to avoid : howwe have to behave towards the gods, our parents, oldage, the laws, strangers, our rulers, our friends, women,children, and men. It teaches us that we should fearthe gods, honour parents, reverence age, obey laws,comply with rulers, love friends, be modest withwomen, treat children with tenderness, and slaveswithout insolence. Especially do we learn from itthat we be neither thrown off our balance in prosperitynor cast down by adversity, that we neither allowourselves to be overcome by pleasure, nor becomepassionate and brutal in our anger. This I hold forthe chiefest of all the goods which we gain throughphilosophy." In another place he says: " Foolishparents who have neglected to give a good educationto their children generally begin to pay for thisneglect when their sons approach manhood, and insteadof leading an orderly and reasonable life plungethemselves into extravagances and low pleasures, drawaround them parasites and other ruiners of youth, fallinto loose living, gluttony, gambling, commit adulteriesand other excesses, by which they risk their lives forpleasure. Had they enjoyed the instruction of a philo-1 I take the following from Friedlaender, iii. 586.