Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

Plutarch and the Greece of His Age
acter and conduct, he rarely attempts to fathom the
motives that underlie and influence conduct.
He is
at times inconsistent with himself because his views on
transcendental problems have not been systematically
wrought out and firmly fixed. If he can quote the
authority of some great name in support of a position
he takes, it
generally suffices him. Not unfrequently
he cites contradictory authorities both for facts and
opinions, then declares which he prefers without
giving a reason for his preference.
Plutarch s Moralia or Moral Writings are so called
for the reason that they
are more or less concerned
with ethical problems. But they also treat inci
dentally of matters religious, political, literary, psy
chological, physical and metaphysical or philosophi
cal. Many of his treatises are in the form of dia
logues,
in which he doubtless had before his mind s
eye his great prototype Plato, little as he is able to
fathom his speculative profundity. Sometimes his
discussions are addressed to a real or imaginary
interlocutor, who has, however, little to say. His dis
courses may be regarded
as sermons or lectures
addressed to a small circle of interested listeners, or
even to a single person, though in reality intended
for a larger public. The homiletic character of many
of Plutarch s discourses is also attested by the fact
that he regards morals as closely connected with
religion. He is the bitter enemy of atheism, because,
as he maintains, it leads to a dissolute and aimless
life. He was, however, in no sense an innovator, but
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