MMeditations — the digital archive
ENRU
Read/Book X/10.7
MED. 10.7Discipline of assent
George Long · 1862EN · Long

The parts of the whole, everything, I mean, which is naturally comprehended in the universe, must of necessity perish; TERMbut let this be understood in this sense, that they must undergo change. But if this is naturally both an TERMevil and a necessity for the parts, DOGMAthe whole would not continue to exist in a good condition, the parts being subject to change and constituted so as to perish in various ways. DOGMAFor whether did nature herself design to do evil to the things which are parts of herself, and to make them subject to evil and of necessity fall into evil, or have such results happened without her knowing it? Both these suppositions, indeed, are incredible. But if a man should even drop the term Nature (as an efficient power), and should speak of these things as natural, even then it would be ridiculous to affirm at the same time that the parts of the whole are in their nature subject to TERMchange, and at the same time to be surprised or vexed as if something were happening contrary to nature, particularly as the dissolution of things is into those things of which each thing is composed. For there is either a TERMdispersion of the elements out of which everything has been compounded, or a change from the solid to the earthy and from the airy to the aerial, so that these parts are taken back into the TERMuniversal reason, DOGMAwhether this at certain periods is consumed by fire or renewed by eternal changes. And do not TERMimagine that the solid and the airy part belong to thee from the time of generation. For all this received its accretion only yesterday and the day before, as one may say, from the food and the air which is inspired. TERMThis, then, which has received the accretion, changes, not that which thy mother brought forth. But suppose that this which thy mother brought forth implicates thee very much with that other part, which has the peculiar quality of change, this is nothing in fact in the way of objection to what is said.

Original · ancient Greek

Τοῖς μέρεσι τοῦ ὅλου, ὅσα φύσει περιέχεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κόσμου, ἀνάγκη φθείρεσθαι· λεγέσθω δὲ τοῦτο σημαντικῶς τοῦ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι. εἰ δὲ φύσει κακόν τε καὶ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἂν τὸ ὅλον καλῶς διεξάγοιτο τῶν μερῶν εἰς ἀλλοίωσιν ἰόντων καὶ πρὸς τὸ φθείρεσθαι διαφόρως κατεσκευασμένων. πότερον γὰρ ἐπεχείρησεν ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ τὰ ἑαυτῆς μέρη κακοῦν καὶ περιπτωτικὰ τῷ κακῷ καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔμπτωτα εἰς τὸ κακὸν ποιεῖν, ἢ ἔλαθεν αὐτὴν τοιάδε τινὰ γινόμενα; ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἀπίθανα.

εἰ δέ τις καὶ ἀφέμενος τῆς φύσεως κατὰ τὸ πεφυκέναι ταῦτα ἐξηγοῖτο, καὶ ὣς γελοῖον ἅμα μὲν φάναι πεφυκέναι τὰ μέρη τοῦ ὅλου μεταβάλλειν, ἅμα δὲ ὡς ἐπί τινι τῶν παρὰ φύσιν συμβαίνοντι θαυμάζειν ἢ δυσχεραίνειν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς διαλύσεως εἰς ταῦτα γινομένης, ἐξ ὧν ἕκαστον συνίσταται. ἤτοι γὰρ σκεδασμὸς στοιχείων, ἐξ ὧν συνεκρίθη, ἢ τροπὴ τοῦ μὲν στερεμνίου εἰς τὸ γεῶδες, τοῦ δὲ πνευματικοῦ εἰς τὸ ἀερῶδες, ὥστε καὶ ταῦτα ἀναληφθῆναι εἰς τὸν τοῦ ὅλου λόγον, εἴτε κατὰ περίοδον ἐκπυρουμένου εἴτε ἀιδίοις ἀμοιβαῖς ἀνανεουμένου.

καὶ τὸ στερέμνιον δὲ καὶ τὸ πνευματικὸν μὴ φαντάζου τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης γενέσεως· πᾶν γὰρ τοῦτο ἐχθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν ἐκ τῶν σιτίων καὶ τοῦ ἑλκομένου ἀέρος τὴν ἐπιρροὴν ἔλαβεν· τοῦτο οὖν ὃ ἔλαβε μεταβάλλει, οὐχ ὃ ἡ μήτηρ ἔτεκεν. ὑπόθου δ’ ὅτι ἐκείνῳ σε λίαν προσπλέκει τῷ ἰδίως ποιῷ, οὐδὲν ὄντι οἶμαι πρὸς τὸ νῦν λεγόμενον.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

A redefinition of perishing. The first move is terminological: the parts of the Whole "must of necessity perish" (ἀνάγκη φθείρεσθαι) — but at once, TERMλεγέσθω δὲ τοῦτο σημαντικῶς τοῦ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι, "let this be said in the sense of being altered." The word "perishing" is not withdrawn but reinterpreted; the same device as at 9.35 (ἀποβολή = μεταβολή). From there the passage works with ἀλλοίωσις alone, and the fear loses its object.

Theodicy as a disjunction. If dissolution is for the parts both an TERMevil and a necessity, then DOGMAthe Whole is ill administered — which Marcus will not allow. Hence the fork: DOGMAeither nature DOGMAdeliberatelyDOGMA does evil to her own parts, or this happens DOGMAwithout her knowing. ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἀπίθανα — "both are implausible": the first contradicts her goodness, the second her omniscience. An argument by exhaustion: since both branches fall, dissolution is not an evil.

And even without "nature." The second move is a concession to the opponent: let someone drop "nature" as an efficient power altogether and explain everything simply by the way things are constituted (κατὰ τὸ πεφυκέναι). Even then it is γελοῖον — absurd to say in one breath that the parts are constitutionally changeable and in the next to marvel at change as contrary to nature. The argument is not theological but logical: the indignation contradicts the indignant man's own premise.

Where the dissolved goes. The physics: either a TERMscattering of the elements (σκεδασμὸς στοιχείων), or a turning — of the solid (στερέμνιον) into the earthy, of the breath-like (πνευματικόν) into the airy; and both are "taken back into the TERMλόγος of the Whole" (cf. 4.14 — received back into the seminal reason; 6.15 — give the breath back to the element you drew it from). Both Stoic cosmologies are named neutrally: DOGMA"whether consumed by fire at periods or renewed by everlasting exchanges" — ἐκπύρωσις or endless alternation; for the argument Marcus is indifferent.

A body three days old. The last and most unexpected turn: do not TERMimagine (μὴ φαντάζου) that your solid and breath-like parts are yours from birth. All of it was gathered "yesterday and the day before" out of food and inhaled air. TERMWhat changes, then, is what was taken on, not what your mother bore. The very object of attachment is removed: the thing that fears to change was never yours — it is fresh intake, not you. The governing discipline is assent (the judgement whether dissolution is an evil), the sustaining one desire.

A note on Long's version. The closing τὸ ἰδίως ποιόν is a technical Stoic term: the "peculiarly qualified" — the individual as bearer of an unrepeatable quality (as against κοινῶς ποιόν, the generically qualified). Long unfolds it as "that other part, which has the peculiar quality of change," importing change where the point is individuality; Rogovin is closer — «всё своеобразие твоего существа». The modernization restores the term.

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-07-16
Statuspublished
Read·Book X
Discipline of assent

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

The parts of the whole, everything, I mean, which is naturally comprehended in the universe, must of necessity perish; TERMbut let this be understood in this sense, that they must undergo change. But if this is naturally both an TERMevil and a necessity for the parts, DOGMAthe whole would not continue to exist in a good condition, the parts being subject to change and constituted so as to perish in various ways. DOGMAFor whether did nature herself design to do evil to the things which are parts of herself, and to make them subject to evil and of necessity fall into evil, or have such results happened without her knowing it? Both these suppositions, indeed, are incredible. But if a man should even drop the term Nature (as an efficient power), and should speak of these things as natural, even then it would be ridiculous to affirm at the same time that the parts of the whole are in their nature subject to TERMchange, and at the same time to be surprised or vexed as if something were happening contrary to nature, particularly as the dissolution of things is into those things of which each thing is composed. For there is either a TERMdispersion of the elements out of which everything has been compounded, or a change from the solid to the earthy and from the airy to the aerial, so that these parts are taken back into the TERMuniversal reason, DOGMAwhether this at certain periods is consumed by fire or renewed by eternal changes. And do not TERMimagine that the solid and the airy part belong to thee from the time of generation. For all this received its accretion only yesterday and the day before, as one may say, from the food and the air which is inspired. TERMThis, then, which has received the accretion, changes, not that which thy mother brought forth. But suppose that this which thy mother brought forth implicates thee very much with that other part, which has the peculiar quality of change, this is nothing in fact in the way of objection to what is said.

Original · ancient Greek

Τοῖς μέρεσι τοῦ ὅλου, ὅσα φύσει περιέχεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κόσμου, ἀνάγκη φθείρεσθαι· λεγέσθω δὲ τοῦτο σημαντικῶς τοῦ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι. εἰ δὲ φύσει κακόν τε καὶ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἂν τὸ ὅλον καλῶς διεξάγοιτο τῶν μερῶν εἰς ἀλλοίωσιν ἰόντων καὶ πρὸς τὸ φθείρεσθαι διαφόρως κατεσκευασμένων. πότερον γὰρ ἐπεχείρησεν ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ τὰ ἑαυτῆς μέρη κακοῦν καὶ περιπτωτικὰ τῷ κακῷ καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἔμπτωτα εἰς τὸ κακὸν ποιεῖν, ἢ ἔλαθεν αὐτὴν τοιάδε τινὰ γινόμενα; ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἀπίθανα.

εἰ δέ τις καὶ ἀφέμενος τῆς φύσεως κατὰ τὸ πεφυκέναι ταῦτα ἐξηγοῖτο, καὶ ὣς γελοῖον ἅμα μὲν φάναι πεφυκέναι τὰ μέρη τοῦ ὅλου μεταβάλλειν, ἅμα δὲ ὡς ἐπί τινι τῶν παρὰ φύσιν συμβαίνοντι θαυμάζειν ἢ δυσχεραίνειν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς διαλύσεως εἰς ταῦτα γινομένης, ἐξ ὧν ἕκαστον συνίσταται. ἤτοι γὰρ σκεδασμὸς στοιχείων, ἐξ ὧν συνεκρίθη, ἢ τροπὴ τοῦ μὲν στερεμνίου εἰς τὸ γεῶδες, τοῦ δὲ πνευματικοῦ εἰς τὸ ἀερῶδες, ὥστε καὶ ταῦτα ἀναληφθῆναι εἰς τὸν τοῦ ὅλου λόγον, εἴτε κατὰ περίοδον ἐκπυρουμένου εἴτε ἀιδίοις ἀμοιβαῖς ἀνανεουμένου.

καὶ τὸ στερέμνιον δὲ καὶ τὸ πνευματικὸν μὴ φαντάζου τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης γενέσεως· πᾶν γὰρ τοῦτο ἐχθὲς καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν ἐκ τῶν σιτίων καὶ τοῦ ἑλκομένου ἀέρος τὴν ἐπιρροὴν ἔλαβεν· τοῦτο οὖν ὃ ἔλαβε μεταβάλλει, οὐχ ὃ ἡ μήτηρ ἔτεκεν. ὑπόθου δ’ ὅτι ἐκείνῳ σε λίαν προσπλέκει τῷ ἰδίως ποιῷ, οὐδὲν ὄντι οἶμαι πρὸς τὸ νῦν λεγόμενον.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related10
TERMφύσιςnatureTERMκακόνevil, the badTERMμεταβολήchange, transformationTERMστοιχεῖαelements, first principlesTERMλόγοςreason, word, the cosmic LogosTERMφαντασίαimpression, presentationDOGMAThe unity of the cosmos — all things bound by a single LogosDOGMAProvidence — the world is purposively ordered for the good of the WholeDOGMAEternal recurrence — the cosmos passes through cycles of the same formsEXERCISEContemplation of nature — φυσική as a spiritual exercise
Commentary

A redefinition of perishing. The first move is terminological: the parts of the Whole "must of necessity perish" (ἀνάγκη φθείρεσθαι) — but at once, TERMλεγέσθω δὲ τοῦτο σημαντικῶς τοῦ ἀλλοιοῦσθαι, "let this be said in the sense of being altered." The word "perishing" is not withdrawn but reinterpreted; the same device as at 9.35 (ἀποβολή = μεταβολή). From there the passage works with ἀλλοίωσις alone, and the fear loses its object.

Theodicy as a disjunction. If dissolution is for the parts both an TERMevil and a necessity, then DOGMAthe Whole is ill administered — which Marcus will not allow. Hence the fork: DOGMAeither nature DOGMAdeliberatelyDOGMA does evil to her own parts, or this happens DOGMAwithout her knowing. ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἀπίθανα — "both are implausible": the first contradicts her goodness, the second her omniscience. An argument by exhaustion: since both branches fall, dissolution is not an evil.

And even without "nature." The second move is a concession to the opponent: let someone drop "nature" as an efficient power altogether and explain everything simply by the way things are constituted (κατὰ τὸ πεφυκέναι). Even then it is γελοῖον — absurd to say in one breath that the parts are constitutionally changeable and in the next to marvel at change as contrary to nature. The argument is not theological but logical: the indignation contradicts the indignant man's own premise.

Where the dissolved goes. The physics: either a TERMscattering of the elements (σκεδασμὸς στοιχείων), or a turning — of the solid (στερέμνιον) into the earthy, of the breath-like (πνευματικόν) into the airy; and both are "taken back into the TERMλόγος of the Whole" (cf. 4.14 — received back into the seminal reason; 6.15 — give the breath back to the element you drew it from). Both Stoic cosmologies are named neutrally: DOGMA"whether consumed by fire at periods or renewed by everlasting exchanges" — ἐκπύρωσις or endless alternation; for the argument Marcus is indifferent.

A body three days old. The last and most unexpected turn: do not TERMimagine (μὴ φαντάζου) that your solid and breath-like parts are yours from birth. All of it was gathered "yesterday and the day before" out of food and inhaled air. TERMWhat changes, then, is what was taken on, not what your mother bore. The very object of attachment is removed: the thing that fears to change was never yours — it is fresh intake, not you. The governing discipline is assent (the judgement whether dissolution is an evil), the sustaining one desire.

A note on Long's version. The closing τὸ ἰδίως ποιόν is a technical Stoic term: the "peculiarly qualified" — the individual as bearer of an unrepeatable quality (as against κοινῶς ποιόν, the generically qualified). Long unfolds it as "that other part, which has the peculiar quality of change," importing change where the point is individuality; Rogovin is closer — «всё своеобразие твоего существа». The modernization restores the term.

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-07-16
Statuspublished