DioLiu/Test1 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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to the nature of a reasonable animal, and not contrary to the reason
of our constitution.

It is natural that these things should be done by such persons, it
is a matter of necessity; and if a man will not have it so, he will
not allow the fig-tree to have juice. But by all means bear this in
mind, that within a very short time both thou and he will be dead;
and soon not even your names will be left behind.

Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint,
"I have been harmed." Take away the complaint, "I have been harmed,"
and the harm is taken away.

That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make
his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.

The nature of that which is universally useful has been compelled
to do this.

Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou
observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. I do not say only
with respect to the continuity of the series of things, but with respect
to what is just, and as if it were done by one who assigns to each
thing its value. Observe then as thou hast begun; and whatever thou
doest, do it in conjunction with this, the being good, and in the
sense in which a man is properly understood to be good. Keep to this
in every action.

Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong,
or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in
truth.

A man should always have these two rules in readiness; the one, to
do only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty
may suggest for the use of men; the other, to change thy opinion,
if there is any one at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from
any opinion. But this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain
persuasion, as of what is just or of common advantage, and the like,
not because it appears pleasant or brings reputation.

Hast thou reason? I have.- Why then dost not thou use it? For if this
does its own work, what else dost thou wish?

Thou hast existed as a part. Thou shalt disappear in that which produced
thee; but rather thou shalt be received back into its seminal principle
by transmutation.

Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before, another
falls after; but it makes no difference.

Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now
a beast and an ape, if thou wilt return to thy principles and the
worship of reason.

Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death
hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour
says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it
may be just and pure; or as Agathon says, look not round at the depraved
morals of others, but run straight along the line without deviating
from it.

He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider
that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very
soon; then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole
remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through
men who foolishly admire and perish. But suppose that those who will
remember are even immortal, and that the remembrance will be immortal,
what then is this to thee? And I say not what is it to the dead, but
what is it to the living? What is praise except indeed so far as it
has a certain utility? For thou now rejectest unseasonably the gift
of nature, clinging to something else...

Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and
terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither
worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm this
also of the things which are called beautiful by the vulgar, for example,
material things and works of art. That which is really beautiful has
no need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more
than benevolence or modesty. Which of these things is beautiful because
it is praised, or spoiled by being blamed? Is such a thing as an emerald
made worse than it was, if it is not praised? Or gold, ivory, purple,
a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a shrub?

If souls continue to exist, how does the air contain them from eternity?-
But how does the earth contain the bodies of those who have been buried
from time so remote? For as here the mutation of these bodies after
a certain continuance, whatever it may be, and their dissolution make
room for other dead bodies; so the souls which are removed into the
air after subsisting for some time are transmuted and diffused, and
assume a fiery nature by being received into the seminal intelligence
of the universe, and in this way make room for the fresh souls which
come to dwell there. And this is the answer which a man might give
on the hypothesis of souls continuing to exist. But we must not only
think of the number of bodies which are thus buried, but also of the
number of animals which are daily eaten by us and the other animals.
For what a number is consumed, and thus in a manner buried in the
bodies of those who feed on them! And nevertheless this earth receives
them by reason of the changes of these bodies into blood, and the

to the nature of a reasonable animal, and not contrary to the reason

of our constitution.

It is natural that these things should be done by such persons, it

is a matter of necessity; and if a man will not have it so, he will

not allow the fig-tree to have juice. But by all means bear this in

mind, that within a very short time both thou and he will be dead;

and soon not even your names will be left behind.

Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint,

"I have been harmed." Take away the complaint, "I have been harmed,"

and the harm is taken away.

That which does not make a man worse than he was, also does not make

his life worse, nor does it harm him either from without or from within.

The nature of that which is universally useful has been compelled

to do this.

Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou

observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. I do not say only

with respect to the continuity of the series of things, but with respect

to what is just, and as if it were done by one who assigns to each

thing its value. Observe then as thou hast begun; and whatever thou

doest, do it in conjunction with this, the being good, and in the

sense in which a man is properly understood to be good. Keep to this

in every action.

Do not have such an opinion of things as he has who does thee wrong,

or such as he wishes thee to have, but look at them as they are in

truth.

A man should always have these two rules in readiness; the one, to

do only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty

may suggest for the use of men; the other, to change thy opinion,

if there is any one at hand who sets thee right and moves thee from

any opinion. But this change of opinion must proceed only from a certain

persuasion, as of what is just or of common advantage, and the like,

not because it appears pleasant or brings reputation.

Hast thou reason? I have.- Why then dost not thou use it? For if this

does its own work, what else dost thou wish?

Thou hast existed as a part. Thou shalt disappear in that which produced

thee; but rather thou shalt be received back into its seminal principle

by transmutation.

Many grains of frankincense on the same altar: one falls before, another

falls after; but it makes no difference.

Within ten days thou wilt seem a god to those to whom thou art now

a beast and an ape, if thou wilt return to thy principles and the

worship of reason.

Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death

hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.

How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour

says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it

may be just and pure; or as Agathon says, look not round at the depraved

morals of others, but run straight along the line without deviating

from it.

He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider

that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very

soon; then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole

remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through

men who foolishly admire and perish. But suppose that those who will

remember are even immortal, and that the remembrance will be immortal,

what then is this to thee? And I say not what is it to the dead, but

what is it to the living? What is praise except indeed so far as it

has a certain utility? For thou now rejectest unseasonably the gift

of nature, clinging to something else...

Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and

terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither

worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised. I affirm this

also of the things which are called beautiful by the vulgar, for example,

material things and works of art. That which is really beautiful has

no need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more

than benevolence or modesty. Which of these things is beautiful because

it is praised, or spoiled by being blamed? Is such a thing as an emerald

made worse than it was, if it is not praised? Or gold, ivory, purple,

a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a shrub?

If souls continue to exist, how does the air contain them from eternity?-

But how does the earth contain the bodies of those who have been buried

from time so remote? For as here the mutation of these bodies after

a certain continuance, whatever it may be, and their dissolution make

room for other dead bodies; so the souls which are removed into the

air after subsisting for some time are transmuted and diffused, and

assume a fiery nature by being received into the seminal intelligence

of the universe, and in this way make room for the fresh souls which

come to dwell there. And this is the answer which a man might give

on the hypothesis of souls continuing to exist. But we must not only

think of the number of bodies which are thus buried, but also of the

number of animals which are daily eaten by us and the other animals.

For what a number is consumed, and thus in a manner buried in the

bodies of those who feed on them! And nevertheless this earth receives

them by reason of the changes of these bodies into blood, and the