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MED. 5.9Discipline of desire
George Long · 1862EN · Long

Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou bast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus thou wilt not fail to obey TERMreason, and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which TERMthy nature requires; but thou wouldst have something else which is not DOGMAaccording to nature.- It may be objected, Why what is more agreeable than this which I am doing?- But is not this the very reason why TERMpleasure deceives us? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than TERMwisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the TERMhappy course of all things which depend on EXERCISEthe faculty of understanding and knowledge?

Original · ancient Greek

Μὴ σικχαίνειν μηδὲ ἀπαυδᾶν μηδὲ ἀποδυσπετεῖν, εἰ μὴ καταπυκνοῦταί σοι τὸ ἀπὸ δογμάτων ὀρθῶν ἕκαστα πράσσειν, ἀλλὰ ἐκκρουσθέντα πάλιν ἐπανιέναι καὶ ἀσμενίζειν, εἰ τὰ πλείω ἀνθρωπικώτερα, καὶ φιλεῖν τοῦτο, ἐφ̓ ὃ ἐπανέρχῃ, καὶ μὴ ὡς πρὸς παιδαγωγὸν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐπανιέναι, ἀλλ’ ὡς οἱ ὀφθαλμιῶντες πρὸς τὸ σπογγάριον καὶ τὸ ᾠόν, ὡς ἄλλος πρὸς κατάπλασμα, ὡς πρὸς καταιόνησιν. οὕτως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐπιδείξῃ τὸ πειθαρχεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ προσαναπαύσῃ αὐτῷ. μέμνησο δὲ ὅτι φιλοσοφία μόνα θέλει ἃ ἡ φύσις σου θέλει· σὺ δὲ ἄλλο ἤθελες οὐ κατὰ φύσιν. τί γὰρ τούτων προσηνέστερον; ἡ γὰρ ἡδονὴ οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦτο σφάλλει; ἀλλὰ θέασαι, εἰ προσηνέστερον μεγαλοψυχία, ἐλευθερία, ἁπλότης, εὐγνωμοσύνη, ὁσιότης, αὐτῆς γὰρ φρονήσεως τί προσηνέστερον, ὅταν τὸ ἄπταιστον καὶ εὔρουν ἐν πᾶσι τῆς παρακολουθητικῆς καὶ ἐπιστημονικῆς δυνάμεως ἐνθυμηθῇς;

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

Place in the book. On returning to philosophy after a lapse: the measure is not flawlessness but resumption. Philosophy here is not a stern overseer but a medicine. The disciplines are desire (the revaluation of the "agreeable") and assent (acting from correct δόγματα).

Not to despair at failure. Three negations: not to "be disgusted" (σικχαίνειν), not to "give up" (ἀπαυδᾶν), not to "sink into dejection" (ἀποδυσπετεῖν), if you do not manage to do everything from right principles. When "knocked back" (ἐκκρουσθέντα), return; be content if the greater part of your acts are "more human" (ἀνθρωπικώτερα); and love that to which you return. This is the Stoic προκοπή: what matters is the direction and the return, not the absence of error.

Philosophy as medicine. Return to her not as to a schoolmaster (παιδαγωγός, who is feared), but as those with sore eyes turn to the sponge and egg, to the poultice, to the douche. Philosophy heals, it does not examine; so you do not "make a display of obeying reason" but find your rest in TERMreason (προσαναπαύσῃ). The therapeutic model: a teaching is not a duty but a means of cure. Cf. Med. 3.13 (keep your principles ready, as a physician his instruments); Epictetus Disc. 3.23.30 (the philosopher's school is a hospital).

Philosophy wills what your nature wills. "Philosophy wills only what your TERMnature wills; but you wanted something else, DOGMAnot according to nature." What philosophy calls for is your own deepest constitution; to resist her is to be estranged from yourself.

The revaluation of the "agreeable." "What is more agreeable (προσηνέστερον)?" — TERMpleasure deceives precisely by seeming agreeable. But look: are not magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, fair-mindedness, piety more agreeable? And most agreeable of all is TERMwisdom (φρόνησις) itself, when you consider the "unerring and TERMsmooth-flowing" working of the EXERCISEfaculty of comprehension and knowledge (παρακολουθητικὴ δύναμις). Virtue is not an asceticism against pleasure but the higher pleasure: the εὔροια of the mind itself.

Discipline and parallels. The principal discipline is desire (the revaluation of the agreeable, contentment, acceptance of nature); the secondary is assent (correct δόγματα, obedience to reason). Parallels: Med. 3.13; Epictetus Disc. 1.1 (the παρακολουθητικὴ δύναμις), 3.23.30 (philosophy as a hospital).

DisciplineDiscipline of desire
Record added2026-07-11
Statuspublished
Read·Book V
Discipline of desire

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou bast failed, return back again, and be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man's nature, and love this to which thou returnest; and do not return to philosophy as if she were a master, but act like those who have sore eyes and apply a bit of sponge and egg, or as another applies a plaster, or drenching with water. For thus thou wilt not fail to obey TERMreason, and thou wilt repose in it. And remember that philosophy requires only the things which TERMthy nature requires; but thou wouldst have something else which is not DOGMAaccording to nature.- It may be objected, Why what is more agreeable than this which I am doing?- But is not this the very reason why TERMpleasure deceives us? And consider if magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, equanimity, piety, are not more agreeable. For what is more agreeable than TERMwisdom itself, when thou thinkest of the security and the TERMhappy course of all things which depend on EXERCISEthe faculty of understanding and knowledge?

Original · ancient Greek

Μὴ σικχαίνειν μηδὲ ἀπαυδᾶν μηδὲ ἀποδυσπετεῖν, εἰ μὴ καταπυκνοῦταί σοι τὸ ἀπὸ δογμάτων ὀρθῶν ἕκαστα πράσσειν, ἀλλὰ ἐκκρουσθέντα πάλιν ἐπανιέναι καὶ ἀσμενίζειν, εἰ τὰ πλείω ἀνθρωπικώτερα, καὶ φιλεῖν τοῦτο, ἐφ̓ ὃ ἐπανέρχῃ, καὶ μὴ ὡς πρὸς παιδαγωγὸν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐπανιέναι, ἀλλ’ ὡς οἱ ὀφθαλμιῶντες πρὸς τὸ σπογγάριον καὶ τὸ ᾠόν, ὡς ἄλλος πρὸς κατάπλασμα, ὡς πρὸς καταιόνησιν. οὕτως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐπιδείξῃ τὸ πειθαρχεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ προσαναπαύσῃ αὐτῷ. μέμνησο δὲ ὅτι φιλοσοφία μόνα θέλει ἃ ἡ φύσις σου θέλει· σὺ δὲ ἄλλο ἤθελες οὐ κατὰ φύσιν. τί γὰρ τούτων προσηνέστερον; ἡ γὰρ ἡδονὴ οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦτο σφάλλει; ἀλλὰ θέασαι, εἰ προσηνέστερον μεγαλοψυχία, ἐλευθερία, ἁπλότης, εὐγνωμοσύνη, ὁσιότης, αὐτῆς γὰρ φρονήσεως τί προσηνέστερον, ὅταν τὸ ἄπταιστον καὶ εὔρουν ἐν πᾶσι τῆς παρακολουθητικῆς καὶ ἐπιστημονικῆς δυνάμεως ἐνθυμηθῇς;

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related7
TERMφύσιςnatureTERMἡδονήpleasureTERMεὔροια (εὔρους βίος)smooth flow of life, eurhoiaTERMλόγοςreason, word, the cosmic LogosTERMφρόνησιςpractical wisdom, prudenceDOGMATo live according to nature — the Stoic *telos*-formulaEXERCISEParakolouthēsis — tracking the movements of one's own soul
Commentary

Place in the book. On returning to philosophy after a lapse: the measure is not flawlessness but resumption. Philosophy here is not a stern overseer but a medicine. The disciplines are desire (the revaluation of the "agreeable") and assent (acting from correct δόγματα).

Not to despair at failure. Three negations: not to "be disgusted" (σικχαίνειν), not to "give up" (ἀπαυδᾶν), not to "sink into dejection" (ἀποδυσπετεῖν), if you do not manage to do everything from right principles. When "knocked back" (ἐκκρουσθέντα), return; be content if the greater part of your acts are "more human" (ἀνθρωπικώτερα); and love that to which you return. This is the Stoic προκοπή: what matters is the direction and the return, not the absence of error.

Philosophy as medicine. Return to her not as to a schoolmaster (παιδαγωγός, who is feared), but as those with sore eyes turn to the sponge and egg, to the poultice, to the douche. Philosophy heals, it does not examine; so you do not "make a display of obeying reason" but find your rest in TERMreason (προσαναπαύσῃ). The therapeutic model: a teaching is not a duty but a means of cure. Cf. Med. 3.13 (keep your principles ready, as a physician his instruments); Epictetus Disc. 3.23.30 (the philosopher's school is a hospital).

Philosophy wills what your nature wills. "Philosophy wills only what your TERMnature wills; but you wanted something else, DOGMAnot according to nature." What philosophy calls for is your own deepest constitution; to resist her is to be estranged from yourself.

The revaluation of the "agreeable." "What is more agreeable (προσηνέστερον)?" — TERMpleasure deceives precisely by seeming agreeable. But look: are not magnanimity, freedom, simplicity, fair-mindedness, piety more agreeable? And most agreeable of all is TERMwisdom (φρόνησις) itself, when you consider the "unerring and TERMsmooth-flowing" working of the EXERCISEfaculty of comprehension and knowledge (παρακολουθητικὴ δύναμις). Virtue is not an asceticism against pleasure but the higher pleasure: the εὔροια of the mind itself.

Discipline and parallels. The principal discipline is desire (the revaluation of the agreeable, contentment, acceptance of nature); the secondary is assent (correct δόγματα, obedience to reason). Parallels: Med. 3.13; Epictetus Disc. 1.1 (the παρακολουθητικὴ δύναμις), 3.23.30 (philosophy as a hospital).

DisciplineDiscipline of desire
Record added2026-07-11
Statuspublished