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MED. 7.55Discipline of action
George Long · 1862EN · Long

Do not look around thee to discover TERMother men's ruling principles, but look straight to this, to TERMwhat nature leads thee, both the universal nature through the things which happen to thee, and thy own nature through the acts which must be done by thee. But every being ought to do that which is according to its constitution; and all other things have been constituted for the sake of rational beings, just as among irrational things the inferior for the sake of the superior, but DOGMAthe rational for the sake of one another. The prime principle then in man's constitution is TERMthe social. And the second is not to yield to the persuasions of the body,—for it is the peculiar office of the rational and intelligent motion to circumscribe itself, and never to be overpowered either by the motion of the senses or of the appetites, for both are animal: but DOGMAthe intelligent motion claims superiority, and does not permit itself to be overpowered by the others. And with good reason, for it is formed by nature to use all of them. The third thing in the rational constitution is freedom from error and from deception. Let then TERMthe ruling principle, holding fast to these things, go straight on, and it has what is its own.

Original · ancient Greek

Μὴ περιβλέπου ἀλλότρια ἡγεμονικά, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖ βλέπε κατ’ εὐθὺ ἐπὶ τί σε ἡ φύσις ὁδηγεῖ, ἥ τε τοῦ ὅλου διὰ τῶν συμβαινόντων σοι καὶ ἡ σὴ διὰ τῶν πρακτέων ὑπὸ σοῦ· πρακτέον δὲ ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἑξῆς τῇ κατασκευῇ· κατεσκεύασται δὲ τὰ μὲν λοιπὰ τῶν λογικῶν ἕνεκεν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς ἄλλου τὰ χείρω τῶν κρειττόνων ἕνεκεν, τὰ δὲ λογικὰ ἀλλήλων ἕνεκεν. τὸ μὲν οὖν προηγούμενον ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατασκευῇ τὸ κοινωνικόν ἐστι, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ ἀνένδοτον πρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς πείσεις· λογικῆς γὰρ καὶ νοερᾶς κινήσεως ἴδιον περιορίζειν ἑαυτὴν καὶ μήποτε ἡττᾶσθαι μήτε αἰσθητικῆς μήτε ὁρμητικῆς κινήσεως· ζῳώδεις γὰρ ἑκάτεραι, ἡ δὲ νοερὰ ἐθέλει πρωτιστεύειν καὶ μὴ κατακρατεῖσθαι ὑπ’ ἐκείνων. δικαίως γε· πέφυκε γὰρ χρηστικὴ πᾶσιν ἐκείνοις. τρίτον ἐν τῇ λογικῇ κατασκευῇ τὸ ἀπρόπτωτον καὶ ἀνεξαπάτητον. τούτων οὖν ἐχόμενον τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν εὐθεῖαν περαινέτω καὶ ἔχει τὰ ἑαυτοῦ.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

Do not peer into others' ruling parts. The opening imperative is against distraction: μὴ περιβλέπου ἀλλότρια TERMἡγεμονικά — "do not look around at others' ruling parts." Do not pry into what is in another's head (cf. 02-08 — unhappy is the one who does not attend to his own soul; 03-04 — do not spend life on thoughts about others; 04-18 — how much leisure he gains who does not look to his neighbor). Instead, a straight look (κατ’ εὐθύ) to where TERMnature leads: a double nature — that of the Whole (through what happens to me: the material of desire) and my own (through what must be done: the material of action).

A hierarchy by constitution (κατασκευή). The axiom of function: each does "what follows from its constitution" (τὸ ἑξῆς τῇ κατασκευῇ). The cosmic subordination: the irrational for the sake of the rational (lower for higher), but the rational DOGMAfor one another's sake (ἀλλήλων ἕνεκεν): the summit of the chain of ends is not egocentric but reciprocal. Hence three priorities in "man's constitution," laid out along the three disciplines:

  1. προηγούμενον — TERMthe social (τὸ κοινωνικόν): the leading thing in the human constitution — the discipline of action.
  2. Unyieldingness to the body (ἀνένδοτον πρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς πείσεις): DOGMAthe rational motion "circumscribes itself" (περιορίζειν ἑαυτήν) and does not let itself be overpowered by the sensory and impulsive motions — they are "animal" (ζῳώδεις); the νοερά "means to hold first place" — the discipline of desire.
  3. ἀπρόπτωτον καὶ ἀνεξαπάτητον — "un-precipitate and undeceivable": not to lurch into hasty assent, not to be taken in — the discipline of assent.

Holding fast to these three. The conclusion: the ruling part, "holding to these (τούτων ἐχόμενον), let it complete the straight line (εὐθεῖαν περαινέτω) — and it has what is its own" (ἔχει τὰ ἑαυτοῦ). The image of the straight line — 7.12 (ὀρθός), 03-05 (upright, not held upright): to fulfil the three priorities just is to hold one's course without swerving after others' ruling parts. The governing discipline is action; the sustaining one, assent.

DisciplineDiscipline of action
Record added2026-07-16
Statuspublished
Read·Book VII
Discipline of action

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

Do not look around thee to discover TERMother men's ruling principles, but look straight to this, to TERMwhat nature leads thee, both the universal nature through the things which happen to thee, and thy own nature through the acts which must be done by thee. But every being ought to do that which is according to its constitution; and all other things have been constituted for the sake of rational beings, just as among irrational things the inferior for the sake of the superior, but DOGMAthe rational for the sake of one another. The prime principle then in man's constitution is TERMthe social. And the second is not to yield to the persuasions of the body,—for it is the peculiar office of the rational and intelligent motion to circumscribe itself, and never to be overpowered either by the motion of the senses or of the appetites, for both are animal: but DOGMAthe intelligent motion claims superiority, and does not permit itself to be overpowered by the others. And with good reason, for it is formed by nature to use all of them. The third thing in the rational constitution is freedom from error and from deception. Let then TERMthe ruling principle, holding fast to these things, go straight on, and it has what is its own.

Original · ancient Greek

Μὴ περιβλέπου ἀλλότρια ἡγεμονικά, ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖ βλέπε κατ’ εὐθὺ ἐπὶ τί σε ἡ φύσις ὁδηγεῖ, ἥ τε τοῦ ὅλου διὰ τῶν συμβαινόντων σοι καὶ ἡ σὴ διὰ τῶν πρακτέων ὑπὸ σοῦ· πρακτέον δὲ ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἑξῆς τῇ κατασκευῇ· κατεσκεύασται δὲ τὰ μὲν λοιπὰ τῶν λογικῶν ἕνεκεν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς ἄλλου τὰ χείρω τῶν κρειττόνων ἕνεκεν, τὰ δὲ λογικὰ ἀλλήλων ἕνεκεν. τὸ μὲν οὖν προηγούμενον ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατασκευῇ τὸ κοινωνικόν ἐστι, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ ἀνένδοτον πρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς πείσεις· λογικῆς γὰρ καὶ νοερᾶς κινήσεως ἴδιον περιορίζειν ἑαυτὴν καὶ μήποτε ἡττᾶσθαι μήτε αἰσθητικῆς μήτε ὁρμητικῆς κινήσεως· ζῳώδεις γὰρ ἑκάτεραι, ἡ δὲ νοερὰ ἐθέλει πρωτιστεύειν καὶ μὴ κατακρατεῖσθαι ὑπ’ ἐκείνων. δικαίως γε· πέφυκε γὰρ χρηστικὴ πᾶσιν ἐκείνοις. τρίτον ἐν τῇ λογικῇ κατασκευῇ τὸ ἀπρόπτωτον καὶ ἀνεξαπάτητον. τούτων οὖν ἐχόμενον τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν εὐθεῖαν περαινέτω καὶ ἔχει τὰ ἑαυτοῦ.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related5
TERMἡγεμονικόνruling part, the soul's governing principleTERMφύσιςnatureTERMκοινωνικόν / κοινωνίαthe social, the communal (disposition)DOGMAOikeiōsis — appropriation expanding from the self to the rational communityDOGMAThe true self is the ruling part
Commentary

Do not peer into others' ruling parts. The opening imperative is against distraction: μὴ περιβλέπου ἀλλότρια TERMἡγεμονικά — "do not look around at others' ruling parts." Do not pry into what is in another's head (cf. 02-08 — unhappy is the one who does not attend to his own soul; 03-04 — do not spend life on thoughts about others; 04-18 — how much leisure he gains who does not look to his neighbor). Instead, a straight look (κατ’ εὐθύ) to where TERMnature leads: a double nature — that of the Whole (through what happens to me: the material of desire) and my own (through what must be done: the material of action).

A hierarchy by constitution (κατασκευή). The axiom of function: each does "what follows from its constitution" (τὸ ἑξῆς τῇ κατασκευῇ). The cosmic subordination: the irrational for the sake of the rational (lower for higher), but the rational DOGMAfor one another's sake (ἀλλήλων ἕνεκεν): the summit of the chain of ends is not egocentric but reciprocal. Hence three priorities in "man's constitution," laid out along the three disciplines:

  1. προηγούμενον — TERMthe social (τὸ κοινωνικόν): the leading thing in the human constitution — the discipline of action.
  2. Unyieldingness to the body (ἀνένδοτον πρὸς τὰς σωματικὰς πείσεις): DOGMAthe rational motion "circumscribes itself" (περιορίζειν ἑαυτήν) and does not let itself be overpowered by the sensory and impulsive motions — they are "animal" (ζῳώδεις); the νοερά "means to hold first place" — the discipline of desire.
  3. ἀπρόπτωτον καὶ ἀνεξαπάτητον — "un-precipitate and undeceivable": not to lurch into hasty assent, not to be taken in — the discipline of assent.

Holding fast to these three. The conclusion: the ruling part, "holding to these (τούτων ἐχόμενον), let it complete the straight line (εὐθεῖαν περαινέτω) — and it has what is its own" (ἔχει τὰ ἑαυτοῦ). The image of the straight line — 7.12 (ὀρθός), 03-05 (upright, not held upright): to fulfil the three priorities just is to hold one's course without swerving after others' ruling parts. The governing discipline is action; the sustaining one, assent.

DisciplineDiscipline of action
Record added2026-07-16
Statuspublished