MED. 4.39Discipline of assent
George Long · 1862EN · Long

What is TERMevil to thee does not subsist in the TERMruling principle of another; nor yet in any turning and mutation of thy corporeal covering. Where is it then? It is in TERMthat part of thee in which subsists the power of forming opinions about evils. DOGMALet this power then not form such opinions, and all is well. And if that which is nearest to it, the poor body, DOGMAis burnt, filled with matter and rottenness, nevertheless let the part which forms opinions about these things be EXERCISEquiet, that is, DOGMAlet it judge that nothing is either bad or good which can happen equally to the bad man and the good. For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to TERMnature and to him who lives according to nature, is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature.

Original · ancient Greek

Ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ ἡγεμονικῷ κακὸν σὸν οὐχ ὑφίσταται οὐδὲ μὴν ἔν τινι τροπῇ καὶ ἑτεροιώσει τοῦ περιέχοντος. ποῦ οὖν; ὅπου τὸ περὶ κακῶν ὑπολαμβάνον σοί ἐστι. τοῦτο οὖν μὴ ὑπολαμβανέτω καὶ πάντα εὖ ἔχει. κἂν τὸ ἐγγυτάτω αὐτοῦ, τὸ σωμάτιον, τέμνηται, καίηται, διαπυίσκηται, σήπηται, ὅμως τὸ ὑπολαμβάνον περὶ τούτων μόριον ἡσυχαζέτω· τουτέστι, κρινέτω μήτε κακόν τι εἶναι μήτε ἀγαθόν, ὃ ἐπίσης δύναται κακῷ ἀνδρὶ καὶ ἀγαθῷ συμβαίνειν. ὃ γὰρ καὶ τῷ παρὰ φύσιν καὶ τῷ κατὰ φύσιν βιοῦντι ἐπίσης συμβαίνει, τοῦτο οὔτε κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν οὔτε παρὰ φύσιν.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

Genre and place in the book. One of the core statements of the discipline of assent: where does evil reside? An expanded twin of 04-07 ("remove the opinion, and 'I am harmed' is removed"). The structure is question-and-answer (ποῦ οὖν;) followed by the criterion of indifference.

Where evil is not. Not in another's TERMruling faculty (no one can lodge your evil in his soul — your κακόν does not "subsist" there), nor in the turnings of the body (τροπή, ἑτεροίωσις — the changes of the "envelope").

Where evil is. In your TERMopining faculty (τὸ ὑπολαμβάνον) — the power that judges something to be evil. And at once the therapy: DOGMAlet it not form the opinion, and all is well. Evil resides in what is up to you (your judgement), not in the external; and so it is yours to remove (cf. Med. 8.47 — "it is not the thing that disturbs you but your judgement of it, and it is in your power to wipe it out now").

The body under torture. Even if the body is cut, burned, festers, and rots — let the opining part be EXERCISEquiet (ἡσυχαζέτω), adding no verdict of "evil." This is the DOGMAno-harm point: bodily suffering is no evil to the ruling faculty (cf. 04-08; 04-07 — the same thesis in brief).

The criterion of indifference. DOGMA"Let it judge nothing to be evil or good that can befall a bad man and a good man alike": what is common to good and bad is neither good nor evil (cf. Med. 2.11 — death, pain, pleasure befall good and bad alike, and are therefore neither good nor evil). Reinforced by the criterion through nature: what befalls one who lives κατὰ TERMφύσιν and one who lives παρὰ φύσιν alike is neither according to nor contrary to nature (= indifferent, adiaphora).

The disciplines. The principal one is assent: evil is in the judgement; be silent, add no verdict. The secondary is desire: the external and the bodily are indifferent — neither fear them nor turn from them.

Parallels. Evil is in the judgement, and it is removable — 04-07; Med. 8.47 (cf. DOGMAdichotomy-of-control). What is common to good and bad is indifferent — Med. 2.11 (cf. DOGMAvirtue-is-sufficient; adiaphora). The bodily does not harm the ruling faculty — 04-08 (cf. DOGMAno-harm-to-virtuous).

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-06-26
Statuspublished
Discipline of assent

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

What is TERMevil to thee does not subsist in the TERMruling principle of another; nor yet in any turning and mutation of thy corporeal covering. Where is it then? It is in TERMthat part of thee in which subsists the power of forming opinions about evils. DOGMALet this power then not form such opinions, and all is well. And if that which is nearest to it, the poor body, DOGMAis burnt, filled with matter and rottenness, nevertheless let the part which forms opinions about these things be EXERCISEquiet, that is, DOGMAlet it judge that nothing is either bad or good which can happen equally to the bad man and the good. For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to TERMnature and to him who lives according to nature, is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature.

Original · ancient Greek

Ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ ἡγεμονικῷ κακὸν σὸν οὐχ ὑφίσταται οὐδὲ μὴν ἔν τινι τροπῇ καὶ ἑτεροιώσει τοῦ περιέχοντος. ποῦ οὖν; ὅπου τὸ περὶ κακῶν ὑπολαμβάνον σοί ἐστι. τοῦτο οὖν μὴ ὑπολαμβανέτω καὶ πάντα εὖ ἔχει. κἂν τὸ ἐγγυτάτω αὐτοῦ, τὸ σωμάτιον, τέμνηται, καίηται, διαπυίσκηται, σήπηται, ὅμως τὸ ὑπολαμβάνον περὶ τούτων μόριον ἡσυχαζέτω· τουτέστι, κρινέτω μήτε κακόν τι εἶναι μήτε ἀγαθόν, ὃ ἐπίσης δύναται κακῷ ἀνδρὶ καὶ ἀγαθῷ συμβαίνειν. ὃ γὰρ καὶ τῷ παρὰ φύσιν καὶ τῷ κατὰ φύσιν βιοῦντι ἐπίσης συμβαίνει, τοῦτο οὔτε κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν οὔτε παρὰ φύσιν.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related8
Commentary

Genre and place in the book. One of the core statements of the discipline of assent: where does evil reside? An expanded twin of 04-07 ("remove the opinion, and 'I am harmed' is removed"). The structure is question-and-answer (ποῦ οὖν;) followed by the criterion of indifference.

Where evil is not. Not in another's TERMruling faculty (no one can lodge your evil in his soul — your κακόν does not "subsist" there), nor in the turnings of the body (τροπή, ἑτεροίωσις — the changes of the "envelope").

Where evil is. In your TERMopining faculty (τὸ ὑπολαμβάνον) — the power that judges something to be evil. And at once the therapy: DOGMAlet it not form the opinion, and all is well. Evil resides in what is up to you (your judgement), not in the external; and so it is yours to remove (cf. Med. 8.47 — "it is not the thing that disturbs you but your judgement of it, and it is in your power to wipe it out now").

The body under torture. Even if the body is cut, burned, festers, and rots — let the opining part be EXERCISEquiet (ἡσυχαζέτω), adding no verdict of "evil." This is the DOGMAno-harm point: bodily suffering is no evil to the ruling faculty (cf. 04-08; 04-07 — the same thesis in brief).

The criterion of indifference. DOGMA"Let it judge nothing to be evil or good that can befall a bad man and a good man alike": what is common to good and bad is neither good nor evil (cf. Med. 2.11 — death, pain, pleasure befall good and bad alike, and are therefore neither good nor evil). Reinforced by the criterion through nature: what befalls one who lives κατὰ TERMφύσιν and one who lives παρὰ φύσιν alike is neither according to nor contrary to nature (= indifferent, adiaphora).

The disciplines. The principal one is assent: evil is in the judgement; be silent, add no verdict. The secondary is desire: the external and the bodily are indifferent — neither fear them nor turn from them.

Parallels. Evil is in the judgement, and it is removable — 04-07; Med. 8.47 (cf. DOGMAdichotomy-of-control). What is common to good and bad is indifferent — Med. 2.11 (cf. DOGMAvirtue-is-sufficient; adiaphora). The bodily does not harm the ruling faculty — 04-08 (cf. DOGMAno-harm-to-virtuous).

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-06-26
Statuspublished