MMeditations — the digital archive
ENRU
Read/Book V/5.26
MED. 5.26Discipline of assent
George Long · 1862EN · Long

Let the part of thy TERMsoul which TERMleads and governs be undisturbed by the movements in the flesh, whether of pleasure or of pain; and let it not unite with them, but let it circumscribe itself and TERMlimit those affects to their parts. But when these affects rise up to the mind by virtue of that other sympathy that naturally exists in a body which is all one, then thou must not strive to resist the sensation, for it is natural: but DOGMAlet not the ruling part of itself add to the sensation TERMthe opinion that it is either good or bad.

Original · ancient Greek

Τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν καὶ κυριεῦον τῆς ψυχῆς σου μέρος ἄτρεπτον ἔστω ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ λείας ἢ τραχείας κινήσεως καὶ μὴ συγκρινέσθω, ἀλλὰ περιγραφέτω αὑτὸ καὶ περιοριζέτω τὰς πείσεις ἐκείνας ἐν τοῖς μορίοις. ὅταν δὲ ἀναδιδῶνται κατὰ τὴν ἑτέραν συμπάθειαν εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν ὡς ἐν σώματι ἡνωμένῳ, τότε πρὸς μὲν τὴν αἴσθησιν φυσικὴν οὖσαν οὐ πειρατέον ἀντιβαίνειν, τὴν δὲ ὑπόληψιν τὴν ὡς περὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἢ κακοῦ μὴ προστιθέτω τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

Place in the book. A fine-grained analysis of pain and pleasure: how the ruling part keeps bodily affects within their bounds and does not turn a sensation into an "evil." The discipline of assent in pure form.

The ruling part — ἄτρεπτον. Let the TERMruling part (ἡγεμονικόν) of the TERMsoul be "unturned" (ἄτρεπτον) by the movements in the flesh — "smooth" (λεῖα, pleasure) or "rough" (τραχεῖα, pain); let it not "commingle" (μὴ συγκρινέσθω) with them, but "circumscribe itself" (περιγραφέτω) and TERMconfine those affects (πείσεις) to the parts. The DOGMAautonomy of the ruling part: the bodily is held within the bounds of the bodily.

The sympathy of one body. But since the body is "unified" (ἡνωμένῳ), the affect does reach the mind (διάνοια) "by that other sympathy" (συμπάθεια): the parts of one body are bound, as are the parts of one cosmos. Here one must not resist the sensation itself (αἴσθησις): it is "natural" (φυσική), neutral, unavoidable.

Add no ὑπόληψις. The decisive move: let the ruling part not add "of itself" (ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ) the TERMopinion (ὑπόληψις) "good or bad". Pain as a sensation is natural; only the verdict makes it a TERMpassion (πάθος). Between αἴσθησις and πάθος stands the DOGMArevocable assent: the sensation is not up to us, but the valuation is. Cf. Med. 8.49 ("add nothing of your own to what the impression reports") and 05-19 / 04-03 (things do not touch the soul).

Discipline and parallels. The principal discipline is assent (adding no valuation to the sensation); the secondary is desire (indifference to bodily pleasure/pain). Parallels: Med. 8.49; 04-03; 05-19.

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-06-26
Statuspublished
Read·Book V
Discipline of assent

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

Let the part of thy TERMsoul which TERMleads and governs be undisturbed by the movements in the flesh, whether of pleasure or of pain; and let it not unite with them, but let it circumscribe itself and TERMlimit those affects to their parts. But when these affects rise up to the mind by virtue of that other sympathy that naturally exists in a body which is all one, then thou must not strive to resist the sensation, for it is natural: but DOGMAlet not the ruling part of itself add to the sensation TERMthe opinion that it is either good or bad.

Original · ancient Greek

Τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν καὶ κυριεῦον τῆς ψυχῆς σου μέρος ἄτρεπτον ἔστω ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ λείας ἢ τραχείας κινήσεως καὶ μὴ συγκρινέσθω, ἀλλὰ περιγραφέτω αὑτὸ καὶ περιοριζέτω τὰς πείσεις ἐκείνας ἐν τοῖς μορίοις. ὅταν δὲ ἀναδιδῶνται κατὰ τὴν ἑτέραν συμπάθειαν εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν ὡς ἐν σώματι ἡνωμένῳ, τότε πρὸς μὲν τὴν αἴσθησιν φυσικὴν οὖσαν οὐ πειρατέον ἀντιβαίνειν, τὴν δὲ ὑπόληψιν τὴν ὡς περὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἢ κακοῦ μὴ προστιθέτω τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related6
TERMἡγεμονικόνruling part, the soul's governing principleTERMψυχήsoulTERMὑπόληψις (глагол ὑπολαμβάνω)judgment, opinion, evaluative apprehensionTERMπάθοςpassion, the soul's pathological stateDOGMAThe true self is the ruling partDOGMAThe dichotomy of control — what is up to us and what is not
Commentary

Place in the book. A fine-grained analysis of pain and pleasure: how the ruling part keeps bodily affects within their bounds and does not turn a sensation into an "evil." The discipline of assent in pure form.

The ruling part — ἄτρεπτον. Let the TERMruling part (ἡγεμονικόν) of the TERMsoul be "unturned" (ἄτρεπτον) by the movements in the flesh — "smooth" (λεῖα, pleasure) or "rough" (τραχεῖα, pain); let it not "commingle" (μὴ συγκρινέσθω) with them, but "circumscribe itself" (περιγραφέτω) and TERMconfine those affects (πείσεις) to the parts. The DOGMAautonomy of the ruling part: the bodily is held within the bounds of the bodily.

The sympathy of one body. But since the body is "unified" (ἡνωμένῳ), the affect does reach the mind (διάνοια) "by that other sympathy" (συμπάθεια): the parts of one body are bound, as are the parts of one cosmos. Here one must not resist the sensation itself (αἴσθησις): it is "natural" (φυσική), neutral, unavoidable.

Add no ὑπόληψις. The decisive move: let the ruling part not add "of itself" (ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ) the TERMopinion (ὑπόληψις) "good or bad". Pain as a sensation is natural; only the verdict makes it a TERMpassion (πάθος). Between αἴσθησις and πάθος stands the DOGMArevocable assent: the sensation is not up to us, but the valuation is. Cf. Med. 8.49 ("add nothing of your own to what the impression reports") and 05-19 / 04-03 (things do not touch the soul).

Discipline and parallels. The principal discipline is assent (adding no valuation to the sensation); the secondary is desire (indifference to bodily pleasure/pain). Parallels: Med. 8.49; 04-03; 05-19.

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-06-26
Statuspublished