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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Plutarch <strong>and</strong> the Greece <strong>of</strong> His Age<br />
husb<strong>and</strong>. He would open a wider sphere for women;<br />
train them intellectually, <strong>and</strong> awaken in them an<br />
interest in the larger affairs <strong>of</strong> life. Consistently with<br />
these views, Plutarch assigned to his wife an honor<br />
able place in his household. She received guests in<br />
her husb<strong>and</strong> s absence; sat at table with him <strong>and</strong> in<br />
terested herself in public as well as private affairs.<br />
While this was in contravention <strong>of</strong><br />
the custom <strong>of</strong> his<br />
day, it was in harmony with a faintly discernible<br />
trend <strong>of</strong> public opinion, probably the result <strong>of</strong> Roman<br />
influence. That the innovation made slow progress<br />
is plain not only from the later history <strong>of</strong> Greece but<br />
also from Greek social usages in our own day.<br />
When<br />
we take cognizance <strong>of</strong> the unhappy state <strong>of</strong> his country<br />
we are inclined to wonder at Plutarch s uniform<br />
serenity <strong>of</strong> mind. He never indulges in satire or<br />
sneer, while many <strong>of</strong> his contemporaries did both.<br />
But we must remember that his philosophy had, above<br />
<strong>and</strong> beyond everything else, a practical purpose, <strong>and</strong><br />
that in a rather material sense. Men s misfortunes<br />
are their own fault <strong>and</strong> therefore preventable; or they<br />
are not their own fault <strong>and</strong> therefore unavoidable.<br />
In either case nothing is gained by grieving over them.<br />
It will be evident from a perusal <strong>of</strong> the De Sera<br />
that optimism is the basis <strong>of</strong> Plutarch s philosophy.<br />
Men can do right if they will, <strong>and</strong> if they do right<br />
they can not fail to be happy. There is a superin<br />
tending Providence that in the end rectifies all<br />
wrong <strong>and</strong> injustice. He seems to hold with Goethe<br />
that "Every sin is punished here below, * though the<br />
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