Book 3, Chapter 3
What a Good Man Should Do and Practise
The material for the wise and good man is his own ruling faculty and the body is the material for the physician and the aliptes (the man who oils persons); the land is the matter for the husbandman. The business of the wise and good man is to use appearances conformably to nature: and as it is the nature of every soul to assent to the truth, to dissent from the false, and to remain in suspense as to that which is uncertain; so it is its nature to be moved towards the desire of the good, and to aversion from the evil; and with respect to that which is neither good nor bad it feels indifferent. For as the money-changer (banker) is not allowed to reject Caesar's coin, nor the seller of herbs, but if you show the coin, whether he chooses or not, he must give up what is sold for the coin; so it is also in the matter of the soul. When the good appears, it immediately attracts to itself; the evil repels from itself. But the soul will never reject the manifest appearance of the good, any more than persons will reject Caesar's coin. On this principle depends every movement both of man and God.
The wise and good person works on their own ruling faculty, just as the physician and the aliptes (the person who oils people) work on the body, and the farmer works on the land. The task of the wise and good person is to respond to appearances in accordance with nature. Every soul is naturally inclined to accept what is true, reject what is false, and withhold judgment about what is uncertain. In the same way, every soul is naturally drawn to desire the good and avoid the bad. It is indifferent to what is neither good nor bad. A money-changer or a seller of vegetables is not allowed to refuse Caesar's coin. If you offer the coin, the seller must hand over the goods, whether he wants to or not. The same is true of the soul. When something good appears, it immediately attracts the soul. Something bad repels it. The soul will never reject what plainly appears to be good, just as people will not reject Caesar's coin. Every action of both human beings and God depends on this principle.
Comp. i. 19, 11.
For this reason the good is preferred to every intimate relationship (obligation). There is no intimate relationship between me and my father, but there is between me and the good. Are you so hard-hearted? Yes, for such is my nature; and this is the coin which God has given me. For this reason if the good is something different from the beautiful and the just, both father is gone (neglected), and brother and country, and every thing. But shall I overlook my own good, in order that you may have it, and shall I give it up to you? Why? I am your father. But you are not my good. I am your brother. But you are not my good. But if we place the good in a right determination of the will, the very observance of the relations of life is good, and accordingly he who gives up any external things, obtains that which is good. Your father takes away your property. But he does not injure you. Your brother will have the greater part of the estate in land. Let him have as much as he chooses. Will he then have a greater share of modesty, of fidelity, of brotherly affection? For who will eject you from this possession? Not even Zeus, for neither has he chosen to do so; but he has made this in my own power, and he has given it to me just as he possessed it himself, free from hindrance, compulsion, and impediment. When then the coin which another uses is a different coin, if a man presents this coin, he receives that which is sold for it. Suppose that there comes into the province a thievish proconsul, what coin does he use? Silver coin. Show it to him, and carry off what you please. Suppose one comes who is an adulterer: what coin does he use? Little girls. Take, a man says, the coin, and sell me the small thing. Give, says the seller, and buy [what you want]. Another is eager to possess boys. Give him the coin, and receive what you wish. Another is fond of hunting: give him a fine nag or a dog. Though he groans and laments, he will sell for it that which you want. For another compels him from within, he who has fixed (determined) this coin.
For this reason, the good comes before every close relationship or obligation. There is no close bond between me and my father, but there is one between me and the good. Are you so hard-hearted? Yes, because that is my nature, and this is the coin God has given me. If the good is different from what is noble and just, then father, brother, country, and everything else are neglected. But should I disregard my own good so that you can have it? Should I give it up to you? Why? I am your father. But you are not my good. I am your brother. But you are not my good. But suppose we place the good in the right use of our will. Then fulfilling our duties in life is itself good. So anyone who gives up external things gains what is good. Your father takes away your property. But he does not harm you. Your brother will have the larger share of the land. Let him have as much as he wants. Will he then have a greater share of modesty, loyalty, or brotherly affection? Who can take those possessions away from you? Not even Zeus can, because he has chosen not to. Instead, he has put them in my own power. He has given them to me just as he possessed them himself, free from obstacles, coercion, and hindrance. People use different coins. If you offer someone the coin he uses, you receive what he sells for it. Suppose a thieving proconsul comes to the province. What coin does he use? Silver. Show him silver, and take whatever you please. Suppose an adulterer comes. What coin does he use? Little girls. A man says, Take the coin and sell me this small thing. The seller says, Give it to me and buy what you want. Another man is eager to have boys. Give him the coin, and receive what you want. Another loves hunting. Give him a fine horse or a dog. Though he groans and complains, he will sell you what you want in exchange. For someone else compels him from within, the one who has chosen this coin.
Mrs. Carter compares the Epistle to the Romans, vii. 21–23. Schweighaeuser says that a man may see that what he is doing is bad or unjust. Or, for some other reason, he may not do it willingly. But he is compelled and allows himself to be carried away by the passion that rules him. Schweighaeuser says that the 'another' who compels him is God. God has made human nature such that a man must put whatever he regards as his Good before everything else. Schweighaeuser adds that it is the man's fault if he places his good where God has not placed it.
Some people will not find this satisfactory. The man is 'compelled and allows himself to be carried away,' etc. The idea of 'compulsion' is inconsistent with the exercise of the will. The man is unlucky. He is like him 'who sees,' as the Latin poet says, 'the better things and approves of them, but follows the worse.'
Against (or with respect to) this kind of thing chiefly a man should exercise himself. As soon as you go out in the morning, examine every man whom you see, every man whom you hear; answer as to a question, What have you seen? A handsome man or woman? Apply the rule. Is this independent of the will, or dependent? Independent. Take it away. What have you seen? A man lamenting over the death of a child. Apply the rule. Death is a thing independent of the will. Take it away. Has the proconsul met you? Apply the rule. What kind of thing is a proconsul's office? Independent of the will, or dependent on it? Independent. Take this away also: it does not stand examination: cast it away: it is nothing to you.
This is the kind of thing you should practice above all. As soon as you go out in the morning, examine everyone you see and hear. Ask yourself: What have I seen? A handsome man or a beautiful woman? Apply the rule. Is this within your control or outside it? Outside it. Dismiss it. What have you seen? A man grieving over the death of a child. Apply the rule. Death is outside your control. Dismiss it. Have you met the proconsul? Apply the rule. Is the proconsul's office within your control or outside it? Outside it. Dismiss it too. It does not pass the test. Cast it aside. It is nothing to you.
If we practised this and exercised ourselves in it daily from morning to night, something indeed would be done. But now we are forthwith caught half asleep by every appearance, and it is only, if ever, that in the school we are roused a little. Then when we go out, if we see a man lamenting, we say, He is undone. If we see If we see a consul, we say, He is happy. If we see an exiled man, we say, He is miserable. If we see a poor man, we say, He is wretched: he has nothing to eat.
If we practiced this every day, from morning to night, we would accomplish something. But instead, every impression catches us half asleep. Only in school, if ever, do we wake up a little. Then we go out and see a man grieving, and we say, He is ruined. If we see a consul, we say, He is happy. If we see a man in exile, we say, He is miserable. If we see a poor man, we say, He is wretched: he has nothing to eat.
We ought then to eradicate these bad opinions, and to this end we should direct all our efforts. For what is weeping and lamenting? Opinion. What is bad fortune? Opinion. What is civil sedition, what is divided opinion, what is blame, what is accusation, what is impiety, what is trifling? All these things are opinions, and nothing more, and opinions about things independent of the will, as if they were good and bad. Let a man transfer these opinions to things dependent on the will, and I engage for him that he will be firm and constant, whatever may be the state of things around him. Such as is a dish of water, such is the soul. Such as is the ray of light which falls on the water, such are the appearances. When the water is moved, the ray also seems to be moved, yet it is not moved. And when then a man is seized with giddiness, it is not the arts and the virtues which are confounded, but the spirit (the nervous power) on which they are impressed; but if the spirit be restored to its settled state, those things also are restored.
We should therefore get rid of these bad opinions and direct all our efforts toward doing so. What are weeping and lamenting? Opinion. What is bad fortune? Opinion. What are civil unrest, disagreement, blame, accusation, impiety, and idle talk? All these are opinions, nothing more. They are opinions about things outside our control, as if those things were good or bad. Let a person apply these opinions to things within the will's control instead. I guarantee that the person will remain steady and constant, whatever happens around them. The soul is like a bowl of water. Appearances are like a ray of light falling on the water. When the water is disturbed, the ray also seems to move, though it does not. So when a person becomes dizzy, it is not the arts and virtues that become confused. It is the spirit (the nervous power) on which they are imprinted. But if the spirit returns to its settled state, the arts and virtues are restored too.
See Schweig.'s note on this unclear passage.