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MED. 8.7Discipline of assent
George Long · 1862EN · Long

DOGMAEvery nature is contented with itself when it goes on its way well; and a rational nature goes on its way well, when in its TERMthoughts it assents to nothing false or uncertain, and when it directs its TERMmovements to TERMsocial acts only, and when it confines its desires and aversions to DOGMAthe things which are in its power, and when it is DOGMAsatisfied with everything that is assigned to it by the common nature. For of this common nature every particular nature is a part, as the nature of the leaf is a part of the nature of the plant; except that in the plant the nature of the leaf is part of a nature which has not perception or reason, and is subject to be impeded; but TERMthe nature of man is part of a nature which is not subject to impediments, and is intelligent and just, since it gives to everything in equal portions and according to its worth, times, substance, cause (form), activity, and incident. But examine, not to discover that any one thing compared with any other single thing is equal in all respects, but by taking all the parts together of one thing and comparing them with all the parts together of another.

Original · ancient Greek

Ἀρκεῖται πᾶσα φύσις ἑαυτῇ εὐοδούσῃ, φύσις δὲ λογικὴ εὐοδεῖ ἐν μὲν φαντασίαις μήτε ψευδεῖ μήτε ἀδήλῳ συγκατατιθεμένη, τὰς ὁρμὰς δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ κοινωνικὰ ἔργα μόνα ἀπευθύνουσα, τὰς ὀρέξεις δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐκκλίσεις τῶν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν μόνων πεποιημένη, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως ἀπονεμόμενον πᾶν ἀσπαζομένη· μέρος γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐστιν ὡς ἡ τοῦ φύλλου φύσις τῆς τοῦ φυτοῦ φύσεως· πλὴν ὅτι ἐκεῖ μὲν ἡ τοῦ φύλλου φύσις μέρος ἐστὶ φύσεως καὶ ἀναισθήτου καὶ ἀλόγου καὶ ἐμποδίζεσθαι δυναμένης, ἡ δὲ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσις μέρος ἐστὶν ἀνεμποδίστου φύσεως καὶ νοερᾶς καὶ δικαίας, εἴγε ἴσους καὶ κατ’ ἀξίαν τοὺς μερισμοὺς χρόνων, οὐσίας, αἰτίου, ἐνεργείας, συμβάσεως ἑκάστοις ποιεῖται. σκόπει δέ, μὴ εἰ τὸ ἓν πρὸς τὸ ἓν ἴσον εὑρήσεις ἐπὶ παντός, ἀλλὰ εἰ συλλήβδην τὰ πάντα τοῦδε πρὸς ἀθρόα τὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Commentary

The three disciplines in one formula. This is one of Pierre Hadot's central texts: a rational nature "fares well" (εὐοδεῖ) by fulfilling exactly three conditions, and they map precisely onto the three disciplines. (1) Assent: "in its TERMimpressions, to assent to nothing false or unclear" (μήτε ψευδεῖ μήτε ἀδήλῳ συγκατατιθεμένη) — control of judgment. (2) Action: "to direct its TERMimpulses to TERMsocial acts alone" (ἐπὶ τὰ κοινωνικὰ ἔργα). (3) Desire: "to make desire and aversion bear DOGMAonly on what is in our power" (τῶν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν μόνων) and DOGMA"to welcome all that the common nature assigns" (τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως ἀπονεμόμενον ἀσπαζομένη). The three fields of a rational being's freedom are set out at once; cf. the parallel 9.6 (true judgment, social action, acceptance).

The leaf and the plant. The human being is a "part" (μέρος) of the common nature, as "the nature of the leaf is part of the nature of the plant." But the analogy is at once qualified (πλήν): the leaf is part of a nature senseless, irrational, and impedable (ἐμποδίζεσθαι δυναμένης), whereas TERMman's nature is part of a nature unimpedable (ἀνεμπόδιστος), rational and just. Hence the inalienability of inner freedom: the external can obstruct a leaf, but not rational assent (cf. the DOGMAdichotomy). The relation of part and whole is the unity of the cosmos at the level of the individual.

The just apportionment. The "justice" of nature is specified as a proportionate distribution (κατ’ ἀξίαν): of time, substance, cause, activity, incident — "equally and by desert." And a methodological rider: seek the equality not by comparing one single trait with another, but as a whole — the totality of one against the totality of another (cf. 8.6: ἴσαι αἱ ἀπονεμήσεις). The strict terms by the word are φύσις, φαντασία, ὁρμή, κοινωνικόν; συγκατατιθεμένη carries assent, but the verbal form (not the noun-lemma) is not entered among the terms. The governing discipline is assent (the first of the three conditions), the sustaining one action; the field of desire is opened in the text on equal footing.

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

George Long · 1862· EN · Long

DOGMAEvery nature is contented with itself when it goes on its way well; and a rational nature goes on its way well, when in its TERMthoughts it assents to nothing false or uncertain, and when it directs its TERMmovements to TERMsocial acts only, and when it confines its desires and aversions to DOGMAthe things which are in its power, and when it is DOGMAsatisfied with everything that is assigned to it by the common nature. For of this common nature every particular nature is a part, as the nature of the leaf is a part of the nature of the plant; except that in the plant the nature of the leaf is part of a nature which has not perception or reason, and is subject to be impeded; but TERMthe nature of man is part of a nature which is not subject to impediments, and is intelligent and just, since it gives to everything in equal portions and according to its worth, times, substance, cause (form), activity, and incident. But examine, not to discover that any one thing compared with any other single thing is equal in all respects, but by taking all the parts together of one thing and comparing them with all the parts together of another.

Original · ancient Greek

Ἀρκεῖται πᾶσα φύσις ἑαυτῇ εὐοδούσῃ, φύσις δὲ λογικὴ εὐοδεῖ ἐν μὲν φαντασίαις μήτε ψευδεῖ μήτε ἀδήλῳ συγκατατιθεμένη, τὰς ὁρμὰς δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ κοινωνικὰ ἔργα μόνα ἀπευθύνουσα, τὰς ὀρέξεις δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐκκλίσεις τῶν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν μόνων πεποιημένη, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως ἀπονεμόμενον πᾶν ἀσπαζομένη· μέρος γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐστιν ὡς ἡ τοῦ φύλλου φύσις τῆς τοῦ φυτοῦ φύσεως· πλὴν ὅτι ἐκεῖ μὲν ἡ τοῦ φύλλου φύσις μέρος ἐστὶ φύσεως καὶ ἀναισθήτου καὶ ἀλόγου καὶ ἐμποδίζεσθαι δυναμένης, ἡ δὲ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσις μέρος ἐστὶν ἀνεμποδίστου φύσεως καὶ νοερᾶς καὶ δικαίας, εἴγε ἴσους καὶ κατ’ ἀξίαν τοὺς μερισμοὺς χρόνων, οὐσίας, αἰτίου, ἐνεργείας, συμβάσεως ἑκάστοις ποιεῖται. σκόπει δέ, μὴ εἰ τὸ ἓν πρὸς τὸ ἓν ἴσον εὑρήσεις ἐπὶ παντός, ἀλλὰ εἰ συλλήβδην τὰ πάντα τοῦδε πρὸς ἀθρόα τὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου.

Leopold · Teubner 1908
Related7
TERMφύσιςnatureTERMφαντασίαimpression, presentationTERMὁρμήimpulseTERMκοινωνικόν / κοινωνίαthe social, the communal (disposition)DOGMAThe dichotomy of control — what is up to us and what is notDOGMAAmor fati — accepting what happens as a rational orderDOGMATo live according to nature — the Stoic *telos*-formula
Commentary

The three disciplines in one formula. This is one of Pierre Hadot's central texts: a rational nature "fares well" (εὐοδεῖ) by fulfilling exactly three conditions, and they map precisely onto the three disciplines. (1) Assent: "in its TERMimpressions, to assent to nothing false or unclear" (μήτε ψευδεῖ μήτε ἀδήλῳ συγκατατιθεμένη) — control of judgment. (2) Action: "to direct its TERMimpulses to TERMsocial acts alone" (ἐπὶ τὰ κοινωνικὰ ἔργα). (3) Desire: "to make desire and aversion bear DOGMAonly on what is in our power" (τῶν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν μόνων) and DOGMA"to welcome all that the common nature assigns" (τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως ἀπονεμόμενον ἀσπαζομένη). The three fields of a rational being's freedom are set out at once; cf. the parallel 9.6 (true judgment, social action, acceptance).

The leaf and the plant. The human being is a "part" (μέρος) of the common nature, as "the nature of the leaf is part of the nature of the plant." But the analogy is at once qualified (πλήν): the leaf is part of a nature senseless, irrational, and impedable (ἐμποδίζεσθαι δυναμένης), whereas TERMman's nature is part of a nature unimpedable (ἀνεμπόδιστος), rational and just. Hence the inalienability of inner freedom: the external can obstruct a leaf, but not rational assent (cf. the DOGMAdichotomy). The relation of part and whole is the unity of the cosmos at the level of the individual.

The just apportionment. The "justice" of nature is specified as a proportionate distribution (κατ’ ἀξίαν): of time, substance, cause, activity, incident — "equally and by desert." And a methodological rider: seek the equality not by comparing one single trait with another, but as a whole — the totality of one against the totality of another (cf. 8.6: ἴσαι αἱ ἀπονεμήσεις). The strict terms by the word are φύσις, φαντασία, ὁρμή, κοινωνικόν; συγκατατιθεμένη carries assent, but the verbal form (not the noun-lemma) is not entered among the terms. The governing discipline is assent (the first of the three conditions), the sustaining one action; the field of desire is opened in the text on equal footing.

DisciplineDiscipline of assent
Record added2026-07-16
Statuspublished