登陆注册
5413400000366

第366章

Or, lastly, is it neither the soul alone nor the body alone, but both together, which are man, the body and the soul being each a part, but the whole man being both together, as we call two horses yoked together a pair, of which pair the near and the off horse is each a part, but we do not call either of them, no matter how connected with the other, a pair, but only both together? Of these three alternatives, then, Varro chooses the third, that man is neither the body alone, nor the soul alone, but both together.And therefore the highest good, in which lies the happiness of man, is composed of goods of both kinds, both bodily and spiritual.And consequently he thinks that the primary objects of nature are to be sought for their own sake, and that virtue, which is the art of living, and can be communicated by instruction, is the most excellent of spiritual goods.This virtue, then, or art of regulating life, when it has received these primary objects of nature which existed independently of it, and prior to any instruction, seeks them all, and itself also, for its own sake; and it uses them, as it also uses itself, that from them all it may derive profit and enjoyment, greater or less, according as they are themselves greater or less; and while it takes pleasure in all of them, it despises the less that it may obtain or retain the greater when occasion demands.Now, of all goods, spiritual or bodily, there is none at all to compare with virtue.For virtue makes a good use both of itself and of all other goods in which lies man's happiness; and where it is absent, no matter how many good things a man has, they are not for his good, and consequently should not be called good things while they belong to one who makes them useless by using them badly.

The life of man, then, is called happy when it enjoys virtue and these other spiritual and bodily good things without which virtue is impossible.

It is called happier if it enjoys some or many other good things which are not essential to virtue; and happiest of all, if it lacks not one of the good things which pertain to the body and the soul.For life is not the same thing as virtue, since not every life, but a wisely regulated life, is virtue; and yet, while there can be life of some kind without virtue, there cannot be virtue without life.This I might apply to memory and reason, and such mental faculties; for these exist prior to instruction, and without them there cannot be any instruction, and consequently no virtue, since virtue is learned.But bodily advantages, such as swiftness of foot, beauty, or strength, are not essential to virtue, neither is virtue essential to them, and yet they are good things; and, according to our philosophers, even these advantages are desired by virtue for its own sake, and are used and enjoyed by it in a becoming manner.

They say that this happy life is also social, and loves the advantages of its friends as its own, and for their sake wishes for them what it desires for itself, whether these friends live in the same family, as a wife, children domestics; or in the locality where one's home is, as the citizens of the same town; or in the world at large, as the nations bound in common human brotherhood; or in the universe itself, comprehended in the heavens and the earth, as those whom they call gods, and provide as friends for the wise man, and whom we more familiarly call angels.Moreover, they say that, regarding the supreme good and evil, there is no room for doubt, and that they therefore differ from the New Academy in this respect, and they are not concerned whether a philosopher pursues those ends which they think true in the Cynic dress and manner of life or in some other.And, lastly, in regard to the three modes of life, the contemplative, the active, and the composite, they declare in favor of the third.That these were the opinions and doctrines of the Old Academy, Varro asserts on the authority of Antiochus, Cicero's master and his own, though Cicero makes him out to have been more frequently in accordance with the Stoics than with the Old Academy.But of what importance is this to us, who ought to judge the matter on its own merits, rather than to understand accurately what different men have thought about it?

CHAP.4.--WHAT THE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE REGARDINGTHE SUPREME GOOD AND EVIL, IN OPPOSITION TO THE PHILOSOPHERS, WHO HAVEMAINTAINED THAT THE SUPREME GOOD IS IN THEMSELVES.

同类推荐
  • 太平两同书

    太平两同书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编交谊典疑忌部

    明伦汇编交谊典疑忌部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 莎车府乡土志

    莎车府乡土志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 斋戒箓

    斋戒箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Rinkitink In Oz

    Rinkitink In Oz

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 凉生子夜无

    凉生子夜无

    【不定期更新】她是一个普通的女孩,和其他女孩一样平凡。可唯一打破的这个人,却是她想都不敢想的人。十六岁的那个夏天,他改变了她的人生……
  • 活体寄生

    活体寄生

    酸雨、地震、海啸、暴风以及那诡异莫测的黑雾,星球上的所有生命体都在发生诡异莫测的变化,甚至有些物种已经掌握了非凡力量。只有人类,依旧保持着原本的模样。不!有些人类也发生了变化,但他们的变化完全跟不上其他物种的进程,为了力量,有些人甚至变成了怪物。这就是智慧领先其他物种的代价?物种发生诡异变化的进程中,人类已经开始落后其他物种,当人类明白这不是进化,而是变异时,一切都晚了。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 暗坛

    暗坛

    蒙斯特魔殿之下的亿万丈处,有一座古老而又神秘的祭坛。祭坛由白骨铸成,其上还存在着一具具来自不同种族的尸骨。一天,一位神秘的存在意外被复活。他在熟悉而又陌生的魔界中游走,竟发现了一桩惊天的阴谋。魔界,也因此将被淹没在血海之中。。。
  • 你是向晚的萤火

    你是向晚的萤火

    向晚是长期在语言暴力下的家庭中长大的女生,极度缺乏安全感。原生家庭的悲剧始终在她身上挥之不去,不断提醒自己不要走父母的老路,一直在精神崩溃的边缘徘徊。遇到了木亮,他的体贴理解,友善和乐观影响着向晚,用爱和陪伴融化她内心的坚冰,给了她生活的希望。一起经历风雨,找到幸福的真谛。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 国民党首要战犯改造秘档(一)

    国民党首要战犯改造秘档(一)

    研究秦城监狱的历史,首先就得从功德林监狱说起,它是秦城监狱的前身。功德林监狱曾经作为北京战犯管理所,关押过中华人民共和国第一批战犯,即国民党战犯。说秦城监狱是特殊监狱,源于1960年。首批特殊犯人由功德林迁往秦城,成为秦城的第一批囚徒。自此,秦城监狱作为中国第一个监狱开始了它的特殊使命。功德林监狱功德林监狱是秦城监狱的前身,它位于北京城北的德胜门外。据说之所以叫“功德林”,是因为当地曾有一座叫做“功德林”的庙宇。光绪年间,功德林古刹里设立了京师习艺所,名为“习艺”,实际上是收容罪犯,令其习艺的场所。
  • 魔幻图书馆

    魔幻图书馆

    旭日中学的旧图书馆是一个神秘的禁地,学校的校规里写着:“本校学生未经许可不得进入第二图书馆。”该校规也适用于学校的老师。其实整个学校只有校长、副校长、教导主任三人进过旧图书馆。可是,有天晚上,历晓天却亲眼目睹有人敲响了旧图书馆的大门,后来他才知道,这个名叫贝乐的男孩,是为了寻找6年前失踪的父母才冒险闯入图书馆的。那么,贝乐的父母到底在不在图书馆里呢?他们是生是死?他们的失踪跟旭日中学又有什么关系?
  • 六绝修罗

    六绝修罗

    太初之时,混沌初开,轻者上而为天,浊者下而为地,天曰青天,地曰大荒。有无数神兽,凶兽,蛮兽,荒兽,于其间纵横,以人为食,以人为牲,以祭青天,以祀大荒,于是人族上以求天,下以拜地,求以修行之法,以区区百年登临神位,使人族可有一言之权,与万族划地而治。
  • 玄幻侦探

    玄幻侦探

    真相往往潜藏在人们触及不到的地方,所以就有了侦探。但侦探真的能窥探到那最终的真相吗?那么真相之下的正义又由谁来维护呢?由一个莫名穿越的随性侦探为你带来一场玄幻的阴谋盛宴……