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In¡¡Logic£»¡¡the¡¡Stoic¡¡system¡¡is¡¡noteworthy¡¡for¡¡their¡¡theory¡¡as¡¡to¡¡the¡¡test¡¡of¡¡truth£»¡¡the¡¡Criterion¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡compared¡¡the¡¡new¡­born¡¡soul¡¡to¡¡a¡¡sheet¡¡of¡¡paper¡¡ready¡¡for¡¡writing¡£¡¡Upon¡¡this¡¡the¡¡senses¡¡write¡¡their¡¡impressions£»¡¡fantasias¡¡and¡¡by¡¡experience¡¡of¡¡a¡¡number¡¡of¡¡these¡¡the¡¡soul¡¡unconsciously¡¡conceives¡¡general¡¡notions¡¡koinai¡¡eunoiai¡¡or¡¡anticipations¡£¡¡prolhyeis¡¡When¡¡the¡¡impression¡¡was¡¡such¡¡as¡¡to¡¡be¡¡irresistible¡¡it¡¡was¡¡called¡¡£¨katalnptikh¡¡fantasia£©¡¡one¡¡that¡¡holds¡¡fast£»¡¡or¡¡as¡¡they¡¡explained¡¡it£»¡¡one¡¡proceeding¡¡from¡¡truth¡£¡¡Ideas¡¡and¡¡inferences¡¡artificially¡¡produced¡¡by¡¡deduction¡¡or¡¡the¡¡like¡¡were¡¡tested¡¡by¡¡this¡¡'holding¡¡perception¡£'¡¡Of¡¡the¡¡Ethical¡¡application¡¡I¡¡have¡¡already¡¡spoken¡£¡¡The¡¡highest¡¡good¡¡was¡¡the¡¡virtuous¡¡life¡£¡¡¡¡Virtue¡¡alone¡¡is¡¡happiness£»¡¡and¡¡vice¡¡is¡¡unhappiness¡£¡¡¡¡Carrying¡¡this¡¡theory¡¡to¡¡its¡¡extreme£»¡¡the¡¡Stoic¡¡said¡¡that¡¡there¡¡could¡¡be¡¡no¡¡gradations¡¡between¡¡virtue¡¡and¡¡vice£»¡¡though¡¡of¡¡course¡¡each¡¡has¡¡its¡¡special¡¡manifestations¡£¡¡Moreover£»¡¡nothing¡¡is¡¡good¡¡but¡¡virtue£»¡¡and¡¡nothing¡¡but¡¡vice¡¡is¡¡bad¡£¡¡Those¡¡outside¡¡things¡¡which¡¡are¡¡commonly¡¡called¡¡good¡¡or¡¡bad£»¡¡such¡¡as¡¡health¡¡and¡¡sickness£»¡¡wealth¡¡and¡¡poverty£»¡¡pleasure¡¡and¡¡pain£»¡¡are¡¡to¡¡him¡¡indifferent¡¡adiofora¡£¡¡¡¡All¡¡these¡¡things¡¡are¡¡merely¡¡the¡¡sphere¡¡in¡¡which¡¡virtue¡¡may¡¡act¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡ideal¡¡Wise¡¡Man¡¡is¡¡sufficient¡¡unto¡¡himself¡¡in¡¡all¡¡things£»¡¡autarkhs¡¡and¡¡knowing¡¡these¡¡truths£»¡¡he¡¡will¡¡be¡¡happy¡¡even¡¡when¡¡stretched¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡rack¡£¡¡It¡¡is¡¡probable¡¡that¡¡no¡¡Stoic¡¡claimed¡¡for¡¡himself¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡this¡¡Wise¡¡Man£»¡¡but¡¡that¡¡each¡¡strove¡¡after¡¡it¡¡as¡¡an¡¡ideal¡¡much¡¡as¡¡the¡¡Christian¡¡strives¡¡after¡¡a¡¡likeness¡¡to¡¡Christ¡£¡¡The¡¡exaggeration¡¡in¡¡this¡¡statement¡¡was£»¡¡however£»¡¡so¡¡obvious£»¡¡that¡¡the¡¡later¡¡Stoics¡¡were¡¡driven¡¡to¡¡make¡¡a¡¡further¡¡subdivision¡¡of¡¡things¡¡indifferent¡¡into¡¡what¡¡is¡¡preferable¡¡£¨prohgmena£©¡¡and¡¡what¡¡is¡¡undesirable¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡also¡¡held¡¡that¡¡for¡¡him¡¡who¡¡had¡¡not¡¡attained¡¡to¡¡the¡¡perfect¡¡wisdom£»¡¡certain¡¡actions¡¡were¡¡proper¡£¡¡£¨kaqhkonta£©¡¡These¡¡were¡¡neither¡¡virtuous¡¡nor¡¡vicious£»¡¡but£»¡¡like¡¡the¡¡indifferent¡¡things£»¡¡held¡¡a¡¡middle¡¡place¡£¡¡Two¡¡points¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Stoic¡¡system¡¡deserve¡¡special¡¡mention¡£¡¡One¡¡is¡¡a¡¡careful¡¡distinction¡¡between¡¡things¡¡which¡¡are¡¡in¡¡our¡¡power¡¡and¡¡things¡¡which¡¡are¡¡not¡£¡¡¡¡Desire¡¡and¡¡dislike£»¡¡opinion¡¡and¡¡affection£»¡¡are¡¡within¡¡the¡¡power¡¡of¡¡the¡¡will£»¡¡whereas¡¡health£»¡¡wealth£»¡¡honour£»¡¡and¡¡other¡¡such¡¡are¡¡general1y¡¡not¡¡so¡£¡¡The¡¡Stoic¡¡was¡¡called¡¡upon¡¡to¡¡control¡¡his¡¡desires¡¡and¡¡affections£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡guide¡¡his¡¡opinion£»¡¡to¡¡bring¡¡his¡¡whole¡¡being¡¡under¡¡the¡¡sway¡¡of¡¡the¡¡will¡¡or¡¡leading¡¡principle£»¡¡just¡¡as¡¡the¡¡universe¡¡is¡¡guided¡¡and¡¡governed¡¡by¡¡divine¡¡Providence¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡is¡¡a¡¡special¡¡application¡¡of¡¡the¡¡favourite¡¡Greek¡¡virtue¡¡of¡¡moderation£»¡¡£¨swfrosuum£©¡¡and¡¡has¡¡also¡¡its¡¡parallel¡¡in¡¡Christian¡¡ethics¡£¡¡The¡¡second¡¡point¡¡is¡¡a¡¡strong¡¡insistence¡¡on¡¡the¡¡unity¡¡of¡¡the¡¡universe£»¡¡and¡¡on¡¡man's¡¡duty¡¡as¡¡part¡¡of¡¡a¡¡great¡¡whole¡£¡¡Public¡¡spirit¡¡was¡¡the¡¡most¡¡splendid¡¡political¡¡virtue¡¡of¡¡the¡¡ancient¡¡world£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡is¡¡here¡¡made¡¡cosmopolitan¡£¡¡It¡¡is¡¡again¡¡instructive¡¡to¡¡note¡¡that¡¡Christian¡¡sages¡¡insisted¡¡on¡¡the¡¡same¡¡thing¡£¡¡¡¡Christians¡¡are¡¡taught¡¡that¡¡they¡¡are¡¡members¡¡of¡¡a¡¡worldwide¡¡brotherhood£»¡¡where¡¡is¡¡neither¡¡Greek¡¡nor¡¡Hebrew£»¡¡bond¡¡nor¡¡free¡¡and¡¡that¡¡they¡¡live¡¡their¡¡lives¡¡as¡¡fellow¡­workers¡¡with¡¡God¡£

Such¡¡is¡¡the¡¡system¡¡which¡¡underlies¡¡the¡¡Meditations¡¡of¡¡Marcus¡¡Aurelius¡£¡¡Some¡¡knowledge¡¡of¡¡it¡¡is¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡the¡¡right¡¡understanding¡¡of¡¡the¡¡book£»¡¡but¡¡for¡¡us¡¡the¡¡chief¡¡interest¡¡lies¡¡elsewhere¡£¡¡We¡¡do¡¡not¡¡come¡¡to¡¡Marcus¡¡Aurelius¡¡for¡¡a¡¡treatise¡¡on¡¡Stoicism¡£¡¡He¡¡is¡¡no¡¡head¡¡of¡¡a¡¡school¡¡to¡¡lay¡¡down¡¡a¡¡body¡¡of¡¡doctrine¡¡for¡¡students£»¡¡he¡¡does¡¡not¡¡even¡¡contemplate¡¡that¡¡others¡¡should¡¡read¡¡what¡¡he¡¡writes¡£¡¡His¡¡philosophy¡¡is¡¡not¡¡an¡¡eager¡¡intellectual¡¡inquiry£»¡¡but¡¡more¡¡what¡¡we¡¡should¡¡call¡¡religious¡¡feeling¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡uncompromising¡¡stiffness¡¡of¡¡Zeno¡¡or¡¡Chrysippus¡¡is¡¡softened¡¡and¡¡transformed¡¡by¡¡passing¡¡through¡¡a¡¡nature¡¡reverent¡¡and¡¡tolerant£»¡¡gentle¡¡and¡¡free¡¡from¡¡guile£»¡¡the¡¡grim¡¡resignation¡¡which¡¡made¡¡life¡¡possible¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Stoic¡¡sage¡¡becomes¡¡in¡¡him¡¡almost¡¡a¡¡mood¡¡of¡¡aspiration¡£¡¡His¡¡book¡¡records¡¡the¡¡innermost¡¡thoughts¡¡of¡¡his¡¡heart£»¡¡set¡¡down¡¡to¡¡ease¡¡it£»¡¡with¡¡such¡¡moral¡¡maxims¡¡and¡¡reflections¡¡as¡¡may¡¡help¡¡him¡¡to¡¡bear¡¡the¡¡burden¡¡of¡¡duty¡¡and¡¡the¡¡countless¡¡annoyances¡¡of¡¡a¡¡busy¡¡life¡£

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