WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:08.000 He who acts unjustly acts impiously. For since the universal Nature has made rational 2 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:11.960 animals for the sake of one another, to help one another according to their 3 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:17.480 deserts, but in no way to injure one another, he who transgresses her 4 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:24.320 will is clearly guilty of impiety towards the highest divinity. And he too, 5 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:29.839 who lies, is guilty of impiety to the same divinity. For the universal 6 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:35.560 nature is the nature of things that are, and things that are have a 7 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:42.039 relation to all things that come into existence. And further, this universal nature 8 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:47.520 is named truth, and is the prime cause of all things that are true. 9 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:54.320 He, then, who lies intentionally, is guilty of impiety inasmuch as 10 00:00:54.359 --> 00:01:03.600 he acts unjustly by deceiving. And he who all soul lies unintentionally inasmuch as 11 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:07.480 he is at variance with the universal nature, and inasmuch as he disturbs the 12 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.359 order by fighting against the nature of the world. For he fights against it 13 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:18.079 who is moved of himself to that which is contrary to truth. For he 14 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:22.439 had received powers from nature through the neglect of which he is not able now 15 00:01:22.519 --> 00:01:27.599 to distinguish falsehood from truth. And indeed, he who pursues pleasure as good 16 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:34.840 and avoids pain, as evil is guilty of impiety for of necessity. Such 17 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:40.040 a man must often find fault with the universal nature, alleging that it assigns 18 00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:45.239 things to the bad and the good contrary to their deserts, because frequently the 19 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:49.079 bad are in the enjoyment of pleasure and possess the things which procure pleasure. 20 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:53.599 But the good have pain for their share, and the things which cause pain. 21 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:59.840 And further, he who is afraid of pain will sometimes also be afraid 22 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.680 of some things which will happen in the world. And even this is impiety. 23 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:09.879 And he who pursues pleasure will not abstain from injustice. And this is 24 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:16.000 plainly impiety. Now with respect to the things toward which the universal nature is 25 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:22.599 equally affected, for it would not have made both unless it was equally affected 26 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:27.439 towards both. Towards these, they who wish to follow nature should be of 27 00:02:27.479 --> 00:02:32.080 the same mind with it, and equally affected with respect to pain, then, 28 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:38.960 and pleasure or death, and life or honor and dishonor which the Universal 29 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:46.960 Nature employs equally. Whoever is not equally affected is manifestly acting impiously. And 30 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:52.199 I say that the universal Nature employs them equally, instead of saying that they 31 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:58.759 are, they happen alike to those who are produced in continuous series, and 32 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:02.400 to those who come after them, by virtue of a certain original movement of 33 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:07.719 providence, according to which it moved from a certain being to this ordering of 34 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:14.599 things, having conceived certain principles of the things which were to be, and 35 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:20.800 having determined powers productive of beings and of changes, and of such like successions. 36 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:29.520 It would be a man's happiest lot to depart from mankind without having had 37 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:35.120 any taste of lying and hypocrisy, and luxury and pride. However, to 38 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:38.039 breathe out one's life when a man has had enough of these things is the 39 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:45.280 next best voyage, as the saying is hast thou determined to abide with vice, 40 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:51.879 and has not experienced yet induced thee to fly from this pestilence, For 41 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:57.719 the destruction of the understanding is a pestilence much more indeed than any such corruption 42 00:03:57.800 --> 00:04:02.759 and change of this atmosphere which rounds us. For this corruption is a pestilence 43 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.800 of animals, so far as they are animals, But the other is a 44 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:15.160 pestilence of men, so far as they are Men. Do not despise death, 45 00:04:15.720 --> 00:04:19.879 but be well content with it, since this too is one of those 46 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:26.160 things which nature wills for, such as it is to be young and to 47 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:30.560 grow old, and to increase, and to reach maturity, and to have 48 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.600 teeth and beard and gray hairs, and to be get and be pregnant, 49 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:40.959 and to bring forth, and all the other natural operations which the seasons of 50 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:46.120 thy life bring. Such also is dissolution. This, then, is consistent 51 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:51.160 with the character of a reflecting man, to be neither careless, nor impatient, 52 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:57.240 nor contemptuous with respect to death, but to wait for it as one 53 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:01.759 of the operations of nature. As thou thou waitest for the time when the 54 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:06.279 child shall come out of thy wife's womb, so be ready for the time 55 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:12.920 when thy soul shall fall out of this envelope. But if thou requirest also 56 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:16.839 a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach thy heart, thou wilt be made 57 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:23.439 best reconciled to death by observing the objects from which thou art going to be 58 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:28.240 removed, and the morals of those with whom thy soul will no longer be 59 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:32.639 mingled. For it is no way right to be offended with men, but 60 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:36.439 it is thy duty to care for them, and to bear with them gently, 61 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:42.240 and yet to remember that thy departure will be not from men who have 62 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:46.920 the same principles as thyself. For this is the only thing, if there 63 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:53.160 be any which could draw us the contrary way and attach us to life, 64 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:58.600 to be permitted to live with those who have the same principles as ourselves. 65 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:04.160 But now thou seest how great is the trouble arising from the discordance of those 66 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:10.079 who live together, So that thou mayst say, come quick, o death, 67 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:19.000 lest perchance I too should forget myself. He who does wrong does wrong 68 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:27.560 against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes 69 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:35.319 himself bad. He often acts unjustly who does not do a certain thing, 70 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:45.560 not only he who does a certain thing. Thy present opinion found it on 71 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:51.519 understanding, and thy present conduct directed to social good, and thy present disposition 72 00:06:51.600 --> 00:07:02.800 of contentment with everything which happens. That is enough wipe out imagination, check 73 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:15.560 desire, extinguish appetite, keep the ruling faculty in its own power. Among 74 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:20.360 the animals which have not reason, one life is distributed, But among reasonable 75 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:26.800 animals, one intelligent soul is distributed just as there is one earth of all 76 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:30.920 things which are of an earthly nature, and we see by one light and 77 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:36.040 breathe one air, all of us that have the faculty of vision, and 78 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:46.839 all that have life, all things which participate in anything which is common to 79 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:53.519 them, all move towards that which is of the same kind with themselves. 80 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:59.240 Everything which is earthly turns toward the earth. Everything which is liquid flows together, 81 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.480 and everything which is of an aerial kind does the same, so that 82 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:11.000 they require something to keep them asunder. And the application of force. Fire 83 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:16.279 indeed moves upwards on account of the elemental fire. But it is so ready 84 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:20.040 to be kindled together with all the fire which is here, that even every 85 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:26.040 substance which is somewhat dry is easily ignited, because there is less mingled with 86 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:31.919 it of that which is a hindrance to ignition. Accordingly, then everything also 87 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:39.039 which participates in the common intelligent nature, moves in like manner towards that which 88 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:43.039 is of the same kind with itself, or moves even more, for so 89 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:48.240 much as it is superior in comparison with all other things. In the same 90 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:52.480 degree, also it is more ready to mingle with and to be refused with 91 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:58.559 that which is akin to it. Accordingly, among animals devoid of reason, 92 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:01.919 we find swarms of bees, and herds of cattle, and the nurture of 93 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.720 young birds, and in a manner loves. For even in animals there are 94 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:13.399 souls, and that power which brings them together is seen to exert itself in 95 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.960 the superior degree, and in such a way as never has been observed in 96 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:22.960 plants, or in stones, nor in trees. But in rational animals there 97 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.919 are political communities, and friendships, and families, and meetings of people, 98 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:33.919 and in wars, treaties and armistices. But in the things which are still 99 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:39.240 superior, even though they are separated from one another, unity in a manner 100 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:43.600 exists, as in the stars. Thus the ascent to the higher degree is 101 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:50.559 able to produce a sympathy even in things which are separated. See then what 102 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:56.799 now takes place. For only intelligent animals have now forgotten this mutual desire and 103 00:09:56.919 --> 00:10:01.799 inclination, and in them alone the property of flowing together is not seen. 104 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:07.600 But still, though men strive to avoid this union, they are caught and 105 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.840 held by it, for their nature is too strong for them. And thou 106 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:16.840 wilt see what I say, if thou only observest. Sooner than will one 107 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:24.000 find anything earthy which comes in contact with no earthy thing than a man altogether 108 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:35.080 separated from other men. Both man and God and the universe produce fruit at 109 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:41.679 the proper seasons each produces it. But if usage has especially fixed these terms 110 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:46.919 to the vine, and like things, this is nothing. Reason produces fruit 111 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:52.399 both for all and for itself, and there are produced from it other things 112 00:10:52.440 --> 00:11:01.919 of the same kind as reason itself. If thou art able correct by teaching 113 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:07.159 those who do wrong, But if thou canst not, remember that indulgence is 114 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:11.679 given to thee for this purpose, and the gods too are indulgent to such 115 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:16.039 persons, and for some purposes they even help them to get health, wealth, 116 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:22.919 reputation. So kind they are, and it is in thy power also, 117 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:31.360 Or say, who hinders thee labor, not as one who is wretched, 118 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:37.440 nor yet as one who would be pitied or admired. But direct thy 119 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:41.559 will to one thing, only to put thyself in motion and to check thyself, 120 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:50.919 as the social reason requires. To day, I have got out of 121 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:54.840 all trouble, or rather I have cast out all trouble, for it was 122 00:11:54.960 --> 00:12:03.200 not outside but within and in my opinions. All things are the same, 123 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:11.039 familiar in experience and ephemeral in time, and worthless in the matter. Everything 124 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:16.120 now is just as it was in the time of those whom we have buried. 125 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:26.440 Things stand outside of us themselves by themselves, neither knowing aught of themselves, 126 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:31.519 nor expressing any judgment. What is it, then, which does judge 127 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:41.759 about them? The ruling faculty, not in passivity, but in activity, 128 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:48.120 lie the evil and the good of the rational social animal, just as his 129 00:12:48.279 --> 00:12:58.360 virtue and his vice lie not in passivity but in activity. For the stone 130 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.879 which has been thrown up, it is no evil to come down, nor 131 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:13.159 indeed any good to have been carried up penetrate inwards into men's leading principles. 132 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.480 And thou wilt see what judges thou art afraid of, and what kind of 133 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:26.279 judges they are of themselves. All things are changing, and thou thyself art 134 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:33.039 in continuous mutation, and in a manner, in continuous destruction, and the 135 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:41.200 whole universe too. It is thy duty to leave another man's wrongful act there 136 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:52.639 where it is termination of activity, cessation from movement and opinion. And in 137 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:58.960 a sense their death is no evil. Turn thy thoughts now to the consideration 138 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.639 of thy life, thy life as a child, as a youth, thy 139 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:09.159 manhood, thy old age. For in these also every change was a death. 140 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:16.240 Is anything to fear? Turn thy thoughts now to thy life under thy 141 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:20.200 grandfather, then to thy life under thy mother, then to thy life under 142 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:26.559 thy father. As thou findest many other differences and changes in terminations, ask 143 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:33.919 thyself, is this anything to fear? In like manner? Then neither are 144 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:39.399 the termination and cessation and change of thy whole life a thing to be afraid 145 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:48.200 of. Hasten to examine thy own ruling faculty, and that of the universe, 146 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:52.240 and that of thy neighbor. Thy own, that thou mayest make it 147 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:58.039 just, and that of the universe, that thou mayest remember of what thou 148 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.840 art apart, and that of thy neighbor, that thou mayst know whether he 149 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:07.279 has acted ignorantly or with knowledge, And that thou mayest also consider that his 150 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:18.879 ruling faculty is akin to thine. Hast thou art thyself a component part of 151 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:24.759 a social system. So let every act of thine be a component part of 152 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:31.320 social life. Whatever act of thine then has no reference, either immediately or 153 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:35.759 remotely to a social end. This tears asunder thy life, and does not 154 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.960 allow it to be won, and is of the nature of a mutiny. 155 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:46.320 Just as when in a popular assembly a man acting by himself stands apart from 156 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:56.039 the general agreement, quarrels of little children and their sports, and poor spirits 157 00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:02.039 caring about dead bodies. Such is everything, and so what is exhibited in 158 00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:12.159 the representation of the mansions of the dead strikes our eyes more clearly. Examine 159 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:18.120 into the quality of the form of an object, and detach it altogether from 160 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:25.080 its material part, and then contemplate it. Then determine the time the longest 161 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:34.639 which a thing of this peculiar form is naturally made to endure. Thou hast 162 00:16:34.759 --> 00:16:41.679 endured infinite troubles through not being contented with thy ruling faculty when it does the 163 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:48.000 things which it is constituted by nature to do. But enough of this. 164 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:56.799 When another blames THEE or hates THEE, or when men say about THEE anything 165 00:16:56.919 --> 00:17:04.039 injurious, approach their poor souls, penetrate within, and see what kind of 166 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:10.480 men they are. Thou wilt discover that there is no reason to take any 167 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:15.400 trouble that these men may have this or that opinion about thee However, thou 168 00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:22.519 must be well disposed towards them, for by nature they are friends, and 169 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:27.359 the gods to aid them in all ways, by dreams, by signs, 170 00:17:27.480 --> 00:17:37.960 towards the attainment of those things on which they set a value. The periodic 171 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:42.720 movements of the universe are the same, up and down from age to age. 172 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:48.839 And either the universal intelligence puts itself in motion for every separate effect, 173 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:53.279 and if this is so, be thou content with that which is the result 174 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:59.599 of its activity. Or it puts itself in motion once, and everything else 175 00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:04.279 comes by way of sequence in a manner. Or indivisible elements are the origin 176 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:08.559 of all things. In a word, if there is a god, all 177 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:14.680 is well, and if chance rules do not, thou also be governed by 178 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:21.440 it. Soon will the earth cover us all. Then the earth too will 179 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:26.920 change, and the things also which result from change will continue to change forever, 180 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:32.039 and these again forever. For if a man reflects on the changes and 181 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:37.119 transformations which follow one another, like wave after wave, and their rapidity, 182 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:48.279 he will despise everything which is perishable. The universal cause is like a winter 183 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:53.480 torrent. It carries everything along with it. But how worthless are all these 184 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:59.599 poor people who are engaged in matters political, and as they suppose, are 185 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:04.839 playing the philosopher, all are drivelers. Well, then, man, do 186 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:11.920 what nature now requires. Set thyself in motion if it is in thy power, 187 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.400 and do not look about thee to see if anyone will observe it, 188 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:21.039 nor yet expect Plato's republic. But be content if the smallest thing goes on, 189 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:25.480 well, and consider such an event to be no small matter. For 190 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:30.839 who can change men's opinions? And without a change of opinions, what else 191 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.200 is there than the slavery of men who groan while they pretend to obey. 192 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:41.160 Come now and tell me of Alexander and Philippus, and Demetrius and Philerum. 193 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:47.920 They themselves shall judge whether they discovered what the common nature required, and train 194 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:53.519 themselves accordingly. But if they acted like tragedy heroes, no one has condemned 195 00:19:53.519 --> 00:20:00.440 me to imitate them. Simple and modest is the work of philosophy. Draw 196 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:08.799 me not aside to insolence and pride. Look down from above on the countless 197 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:15.720 herds of men and their countless solemnities, and the infinity varied voyagings into storms 198 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:21.359 and calms, and the differences among those who are born, who live together 199 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:26.599 and die. And consider too the life lived by others in olden time, 200 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:30.599 and the life of those who will live after THEE, and the life now 201 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:37.359 lived among barbarous nations. And how many know not even thy name, and 202 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:41.480 how many will soon forget it, And how they who perhaps now are praising 203 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:47.680 THEE will very soon blame THEE. And that neither a posthumous name is of 204 00:20:47.720 --> 00:20:57.640 any value, nor reputation, nor anything else. Let there be freedom from 205 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:03.759 perturbations with speck to the things which come from the external cause. And let 206 00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:08.440 there be justice in the things done by virtue of the internal cause. That 207 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:15.039 is, let there be movement and action terminating in this in social acts, 208 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:25.960 for this is according to thy nature. Thou canst remove out of the way 209 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:30.039 many useless things, among those which disturb THEE, for they lie entirely in 210 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:36.759 thy opinion. And thou wilt then gain for thyself ample space by comprehending the 211 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:41.720 whole universe in thy mind, and by contemplating the eternity of time and observing 212 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:47.920 the rapid change of every several thing. How short is the time from birth 213 00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:53.920 to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as the equally boundless 214 00:21:53.960 --> 00:22:03.000 time. After dissolution, All that thou seest will quickly perish, and those 215 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:10.440 who have been spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish too. And he 216 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:15.559 who dies at the extremest old age will be brought into the same condition with 217 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:26.319 him who died prematurely. What are these men's leading principles? And about what 218 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:30.920 kind of things are they busy? And for what kind of reasons do they 219 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:37.200 love and honor? Imagine that thou seest their poor souls laid bare when they 220 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:41.759 think that they do harm by their blame or good by their praise. What 221 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:51.920 an idea loss is nothing else than change, But the universal nature delights in 222 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:56.079 change, and in obedience to her. All things are now done well, 223 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.319 and from eternity have been done in like form, and will be done to 224 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:06.839 such time without end. What then, dost thou say that all things have 225 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:11.680 been and all things always will be bad, and that no power has ever 226 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:15.720 been found in so many gods to rectify these things. But the world has 227 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:26.000 been condemned to be bound in never ceasing evil. The rottenness of the matter 228 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:30.400 which is the foundation of everything, water, dust, bones, filth, 229 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:37.319 or again marble rocks, the callosities of the earth, and gold and silver, 230 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:44.680 and sediments and garments, only bits of hair and purple dye, blood 231 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:48.599 and everything else is of the same kind. And that which is of the 232 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:55.559 nature of breath is also another thing of the same kind. Changing from this 233 00:23:55.759 --> 00:24:03.400 to that, Enough of this wretched life and murmurings and apish tricks. Why 234 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:08.480 art thou disturbed? What is there new in this? What unsettles thee? 235 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:14.559 Is it the form of the thing? Look at it? Or is it 236 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:19.759 the matter? Look at it? But besides these there is nothing toward the 237 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:26.960 gods. Then now become at last more simple and better. It is the 238 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:34.119 same whether we examine these things for a hundred years or three. If any 239 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:38.799 man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has 240 00:24:38.839 --> 00:24:49.279 not done wrong either. All things proceed from one intelligence source and come together 241 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:55.319 as in one body, and the part ought not to find fault with what 242 00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:59.480 is done for the benefit of the whole. Or there are only atoms and 243 00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:04.440 nothing else than mixture and dispersion. Why then, art thou disturbed? Say 244 00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:10.720 to the ruling faculty, art thou debt, art thou corrupted? Art Thou 245 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:15.319 playing the hypocrite, art thou become a beast? Dost thou heard and feed 246 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:23.839 with the rest. Either the gods have no power or they have power. 247 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:30.599 If then they have no power, why dost thou pray to them? But 248 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:33.200 if they have power, why dost thou not pray for them to give THEE 249 00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:38.000 the faculty of not fearing any of the things which thou fearest, or of 250 00:25:38.039 --> 00:25:42.920 not desiring any of the things which thou desirest, or not being pained at 251 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:48.720 anything, rather than pray that any of these things should not happen or happen. 252 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:52.920 For certainly, if they can cooperate with men, they can cooperate for 253 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:59.160 these purposes. But perhaps thou wilt say, the gods have placed them in 254 00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:03.119 thy power. Well, then is it not better to use what is in 255 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:07.279 thy power like a free man, than to desire in a slavish and abject 256 00:26:07.319 --> 00:26:11.400 way what is not in thy power? And who hast told THEE that the 257 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:15.319 gods do not aid us even in the things which are in our power? 258 00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:22.319 Begin then to pray for such things? An thou wilt see one man praise 259 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:26.079 thus, how shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou 260 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:32.680 praise thus? How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another praise? 261 00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:37.599 Thus? How shall I be released from this another praise? How shall 262 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:41.839 I not desire to be released another? Thus? How shall I not lose 263 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:47.599 my little son? Thou? Thus? How shall I not be afraid to 264 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:52.559 lose him? In turn? Turn thy prayers this way and see what comes? 265 00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:03.319 Epicurus says, in my sickness, my conversation was not about my bodily 266 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:08.880 sufferings, Nor says he, did I talk on such subjects to those who 267 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:14.440 visited me. But I continued to discourse on the nature of things as before, 268 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:18.640 keeping to this main point. How the mind well, participating in such 269 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:25.440 movements as go on in the poor flesh, shall be free from perturbations and 270 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:30.359 maintain its proper good. Nor did I, he says, give the physicians 271 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:36.200 an opportunity of putting on solemn looks as if they were doing something great. 272 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:40.799 But my life went on well and happily. Do then the same that he 273 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:44.440 did, both in sickness, if thou art sick, and in any other 274 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:49.119 circumstances. For never to desert philosophy in any events that may befall us, 275 00:27:49.720 --> 00:27:56.000 nor to hold trifling talk, either with an ignorant man or with one unacquainted 276 00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:00.200 with nature, is a principle of all schools of philosophy. But to be 277 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:07.039 intent only on that which thou art now doing, and on the instrument by 278 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:17.559 which thou dost it. When thou art offended with any man's shameless conduct, 279 00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:23.200 immediately ask thyself, is it possible then that shameless men should not be in 280 00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:32.160 the world? It is not possible. Do then, require what is impossible? 281 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:37.599 For this man also is one of those shameless men who must, of 282 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:42.279 necessity be in the world. Let the same considerations be present to thy mind 283 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:47.480 in the case of the knave and the faithless man, and of every man 284 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:51.920 who does wrong in any way. For at the same time that thou dost 285 00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:56.119 remind thyself that it is impossible that such kind of men should not exist, 286 00:28:56.519 --> 00:29:02.599 thou wilt become more kindly disposed toward every one individually. It is useful to 287 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:07.759 perceive this too immediately when the occasion arises that virtue Nature has given to man 288 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:14.359 to oppose to every wrongful act. For she has given to man as an 289 00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:19.240 antidote against the stupid man mildness, and against another kind of man. Some 290 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:25.319 other power, and in all cases, it is possible for THEE to correct 291 00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:30.680 thy teaching the man who is gone astray, For every man who errs misses 292 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:34.440 his object and is gone astray. Besides, wherein hast thou been injured? 293 00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:41.720 For thou wilt find that no one among those against whom thou art irritated, 294 00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:45.640 has done anything by which thy mind could be made worse. But that which 295 00:29:45.720 --> 00:29:51.559 is evil to THEE and harmful has its foundation only in the mind. And 296 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:55.960 what harm is done, or what is there strange if the man who has 297 00:29:56.039 --> 00:30:02.440 not been instructed does the acts of an uninstructed man? Consider whether thou shouldst 298 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:07.079 not rather blame thyself, because thou didst not expect such a man to err 299 00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:11.680 in such a way. For thou hast means given THEE by thy reason to 300 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:15.680 suppose that it was likely that he would commit this error, And yet thou 301 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:21.079 hast forgotten, and art amaze that he has erred. But most of all, 302 00:30:21.160 --> 00:30:26.519 when thou blamest him as a father or ungrateful, turn thyself, for 303 00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:32.079 the fault is manifestly thy own. Whether thou didst trust that a man who 304 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:37.880 had such a disposition would keep his promise, or when conferring thy kindness, 305 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:41.240 Thou didst not confer it absolutely, nor yet in such a way as to 306 00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:47.960 have received from thy very act all a prophet. For what more dost thou 307 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:52.920 want when thou hast done a man of service? Art thou not content that 308 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:57.640 thou hast done something comfortable to thy nature? And dost thou seek to be 309 00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:03.319 paid for it, just as if the eye demanded a recompense for seeing, 310 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:07.599 or the feet for walking. For as these members are formed for a particular 311 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:15.279 purpose, and by working according to their several constitutions, obtain what is their 312 00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:19.119 own, so also as man is formed by nature to acts of benevolence. 313 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:23.839 When he has done anything benevolent or in any other way conducive to the common 314 00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:30.920 interest, he has acted conformably to his constitution, and he gets what is 315 00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:30.480 his own.