Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

cxxxviii INTRODUCTION SECT.
'
world-citizenship '
had perhaps more sound than mean-
ing, and so far as it possessed positive content, connoted
status and franchise, rather than claims of sacrifice or
service. But noble phrases are pregnant : as the ob-
ligations involved in status gradually compelled the
moral assent, as the '
part '
(meros) learned to recognise
and own its contributory offices as ' member '
(melos}, 1 the
idea of '
world-citizenship '
came to include the whole
range of social duty and endeavour. Implicit in all
human relationship, the social tie affects every contact of
man with man, establishing a bond of brotherhood, which
forbids all selfish isolation of interest. 'What is not
good for the swarm is not 2
good for the bee.'
community of sentiment with every man.
*
It ensures
Enter into
every man's Inner Self, and let every other man enter
into thine.' 3
It inspires, impels the life of active service.
'We are made for co-operation, as feet, as hands, as
eyelids, as the upper and the lower teeth.' And this
law of service is as binding on the Caesar as on the
churl. Moreover, do what we will or resist as we may,
the great bond is inalienable ; no temporary disclaimer
or repudiation can annul it. The individual may for a
moment violate, but he cannot impair or destroy the
solidarity of man. 'Consider the goodness of god,
with which he has honoured man : he has put it in his
power never to be sundered at all from the whole ; and
if sundered, then to rejoin it once more, and coalesce,
and resume his
4
contributory place.' Men, in spite of
members of the body.' And, as
themselves, remain '
1 vii. 13.
3 viii. 61.
2 ii. 3 ; v. 8, 22 ; vi. 45, 54 ; x. 6, 33.
4 viii. 34; xi. 8.