Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
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"<br />
Plutarch <strong>and</strong> the Greece <strong>of</strong> His Age<br />
extreme harshness. This was particularly the case<br />
among the Romans,<br />
Plutarch regards the soul as composed <strong>of</strong> two parts.<br />
One part seeks after truth <strong>and</strong> light; the other is<br />
under the influence <strong>of</strong> the passions, <strong>and</strong> liable to<br />
error. The first is divine, the second carnal. In so<br />
far as a man heeds the monitions <strong>of</strong> the former he<br />
will follow the path <strong>of</strong> virtue. Practical virtue, virtue<br />
in action, is wisdom; vice is error. In order to be<br />
virtuous it is only necessary to listen to the voice <strong>of</strong><br />
reason. Plutarch does not doubt that virtue can be<br />
taught. To teach virtue consists largely in making it<br />
attractive to the young. Reason does not annihilate<br />
the passions;<br />
it merely directs them toward a goal<br />
that it has marked out. Virtue consists in "the<br />
golden mean /MySev ayav in doing neither too<br />
much nor too little. Bravery is a virtue whose place<br />
is between cowardice <strong>and</strong> rashness. Mildness or<br />
kindness is a virtue: its place is between stolidity <strong>and</strong><br />
cruelty, just as the place <strong>of</strong> liberality is midway be<br />
tween the extremes, stinginess <strong>and</strong> prodigality. He<br />
adduces a number <strong>of</strong> pro<strong>of</strong>s to establish the position<br />
that the passions are corporeal <strong>and</strong> the reason supersensuous;<br />
in a correct system <strong>of</strong> pedagogy a proper<br />
use is to be made <strong>of</strong> the latter for controlling <strong>and</strong><br />
wisely directing the former toward rational ends. It<br />
is in every man s power to be virtuous under all cir<br />
cumstances, but happiness, or rather good fortune, is<br />
dependent upon many things. A virtuous man may<br />
enjoy peace <strong>of</strong> mind at all times, while the largest<br />
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