§3.3βουλεύονται δὲ πότερον περὶ πάντων, καὶ πᾶν βουλευτόν ἐστιν, ἢ περὶ ἐνίων οὐκ ἔστι βουλή;
Do men deliberate about everything, and is everything a matter for deliberation, or is there no deliberation about some things?
λεκτέον δʼ ἴσως βουλευτὸν οὐχ ὑπὲρ οὗ βουλεύσαιτʼ ἄν τις ἠλίθιος ἢ μαινόμενος, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ὧν ὁ νοῦν ἔχων.
We ought perhaps to say that a matter for deliberation is not what a fool or a madman would deliberate about, but what a person of sound mind would.
περὶ δὴ τῶν ἀιδίων οὐδεὶς βουλεύεται, οἷον περὶ τοῦ κόσμου ἢ τῆς διαμέτρου καὶ τῆς πλευρᾶς, ὅτι ἀσύμμετροι.
Now, no one deliberates about eternal things, such as the universe, or the incommensurability of the diagonal and the side.
ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν κινήσει, ἀεὶ δὲ κατὰ ταὐτὰ γινομένων, εἴτʼ ἐξ ἀνάγκης εἴτε καὶ φύσει ἢ διά τινα αἰτίαν ἄλλην, οἷον τροπῶν καὶ ἀνατολῶν.
Nor do they deliberate about things in motion which always happen in the same way, whether of necessity or by nature or through some other cause, such as the solstices and the sunrises.
οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ἄλλοτε ἄλλως, οἷον αὐχμῶν καὶ ὄμβρων.
Nor about things that happen now one way and now another, such as droughts and rains.
οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τύχης, οἷον θησαυροῦ εὑρέσεως.
Nor about things due to chance, such as the finding of a treasure.
ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἁπάντων, οἷον πῶς ἂν Σκύθαι ἄριστα πολιτεύοιντο οὐδεὶς Λακεδαιμονίων βουλεύεται.
Nor indeed about all human affairs; for instance, no Spartan deliberates about how the Scythians might best govern themselves.
οὐ γὰρ γένοιτʼ ἂν τούτων οὐθὲν διʼ ἡμῶν.
For none of these things could be brought about by our agency.
βουλευόμεθα δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐφʼ ἡμῖν καὶ πρακτῶν· ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἔστι λοιπά.
But we deliberate about things that are in our power and can be done; and these are indeed what are left.
αἰτίαι γὰρ δοκοῦσιν εἶναι φύσις καὶ ἀνάγκη καὶ τύχη, ἔτι δὲ νοῦς καὶ πᾶν τὸ διʼ ἀνθρώπου.
For nature, necessity, and chance seem to be causes, and also intellect and everything that acts through human agency.
τῶν δʼ ἀνθρώπων ἕκαστοι βουλεύονται περὶ τῶν διʼ αὑτῶν πρακτῶν.
And each class of men deliberates about what can be done by their own agency.
καὶ περὶ μὲν τὰς ἀκριβεῖς καὶ αὐτάρκεις τῶν ἐπιστημῶν οὐκ ἔστι βουλή, οἷον περὶ γραμμάτων (οὐ γὰρ διστάζομεν πῶς γραπτέον)· ἀλλʼ ὅσα γίνεται διʼ ἡμῶν, μὴ ὡσαύτως δʼ ἀεί, περὶ τούτων βουλευόμεθα, οἷον περὶ τῶν κατʼ ἰατρικὴν καὶ χρηματιστικήν, καὶ περὶ κυβερνητικὴν μᾶλλον ἢ γυμναστικήν, ὅσῳ ἧττον διηκρίβωται, καὶ ἔτι περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὁμοίως, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ περὶ τὰς τέχνας ἢ τὰς ἐπιστήμας· μᾶλλον γὰρ περὶ ταύτας διστάζομεν.
Now, about the precise and self-sufficient sciences there is no deliberation, as for instance about letters (for we do not doubt how they should be written); but we deliberate about things that are brought about by our agency, but not always in the same way, such as matters of medicine and finance, and more about navigation than gymnastics, in proportion as it has been less precisely systematized, and likewise about the rest, and more about arts than sciences; for we have more doubts about them.
τὸ βουλεύεσθαι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, ἀδήλοις δὲ πῶς ἀποβήσεται, καὶ ἐν οἷς ἀδιόριστον.
Deliberation is concerned with things that happen for the most part, but of which the outcome is obscure, and with things in which there is no definite rule.
συμβούλους δὲ παραλαμβάνομεν εἰς τὰ μεγάλα, ἀπιστοῦντες ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ὡς οὐχ ἱκανοῖς διαγνῶναι.
And we take advisers for great matters, distrusting ourselves as not sufficient to decide.
βουλευόμεθα δʼ οὐ περὶ τῶν τελῶν ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν πρὸς τὰ τέλη.
We deliberate not about ends but about means to ends.
οὔτε γὰρ ἰατρὸς βουλεύεται εἰ ὑγιάσει, οὔτε ῥήτωρ εἰ πείσει, οὔτε πολιτικὸς εἰ εὐνομίαν ποιήσει, οὐδὲ τῶν λοιπῶν οὐδεὶς περὶ τοῦ τέλους·
For a doctor does not deliberate whether he shall cure, nor an orator whether he shall persuade, nor a statesman whether he shall produce good order, nor does anyone else deliberate about his end.
ἀλλὰ θέμενοι τὸ τέλος τὸ πῶς καὶ διὰ τίνων ἔσται σκοποῦσι· καὶ διὰ πλειόνων μὲν φαινομένου γίνεσθαι διὰ τίνος ῥᾷστα καὶ κάλλιστα ἐπισκοποῦσι, διʼ ἑνὸς δʼ ἐπιτελουμένου πῶς διὰ τούτου ἔσται κἀκεῖνο διὰ τίνος, ἕως ἂν ἔλθωσιν ἐπὶ τὸ πρῶτον αἴτιον, ὃ ἐν τῇ εὑρέσει ἔσχατόν ἐστιν.
Rather, having set up the end, they consider how and by what means it will be achieved; and if it seems to be produced by several means they consider by which it is most easily and best produced, while if it is achieved by one means they consider how it will be achieved by this, and this by what, until they come to the first cause, which in the order of discovery is last.
ὁ γὰρ βουλευόμενος ἔοικε ζητεῖν καὶ ἀναλύειν τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ὥσπερ διάγραμμα (φαίνεται δʼ ἡ μὲν ζήτησις οὐ πᾶσα εἶναι βούλευσις, οἷον αἱ μαθηματικαί, ἡ δὲ βούλευσις πᾶσα ζήτησις), καὶ τὸ ἔσχατον ἐν τῇ ἀναλύσει πρῶτον εἶναι ἐν τῇ γενέσει.
For the person who deliberates seems to investigate and analyze in the manner described, as though analyzing a geometrical diagram (it seems that while not all investigation is deliberation, for instance mathematical investigations, all deliberation is investigation), and what is last in the analysis is first in the order of generation.
κἂν μὲν ἀδυνάτῳ ἐντύχωσιν, ἀφίστανται, οἷον εἰ χρημάτων δεῖ, ταῦτα δὲ μὴ οἷόν τε πορισθῆναι· ἐὰν δὲ δυνατὸν φαίνηται, ἐγχειροῦσι πράττειν.
And if they meet with an impossibility, they give up, as for instance if money is needed and this cannot be provided; but if it seems possible they attempt to do it.
δυνατὰ δὲ ἃ διʼ ἡμῶν γένοιτʼ ἄν· τὰ γὰρ διὰ τῶν φίλων διʼ ἡμῶν πως ἐστίν· ἡ γὰρ ἀρχὴ ἐν ἡμῖν.
What is possible is what can be brought about by our agency; for what is done through our friends is in a way done by our agency, since the starting-point is in us.
ζητεῖται δʼ ὁτὲ μὲν τὰ ὄργανα ὁτὲ δʼ ἡ χρεία αὐτῶν· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ὁτὲ μὲν διʼ οὗ ὁτὲ δὲ πῶς ἢ διὰ τίνος.
And sometimes the instruments are sought, sometimes their use; and likewise in other cases, sometimes the means, sometimes how or through what it is to be done.
ἔοικε δή, καθάπερ εἴρηται, ἄνθρωπος εἶναι ἀρχὴ τῶν πράξεων· ἡ δὲ βουλὴ περὶ τῶν αὑτῷ πρακτῶν, αἱ δὲ πράξεις ἄλλων ἕνεκα.
It seems then, as has been said, that a human being is the starting-point of actions; and deliberation is about what can be done by oneself, and actions are for the sake of other things.
οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴη βουλευτὸν τὸ τέλος ἀλλὰ τὰ πρὸς τὰ τέλη· οὐδὲ δὴ τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστα, οἷον εἰ ἄρτος τοῦτο ἢ πέπεπται ὡς δεῖ· αἰσθήσεως γὰρ ταῦτα.
For the end cannot be a matter of deliberation, but only the means to the end; nor can particular facts, such as whether this is a loaf of bread or has been baked as it should be; for these are matters of perception.
εἰ δὲ ἀεὶ βουλεύσεται, εἰς ἄπειρον ἥξει.
If he is always to deliberate, he will go on to infinity.
βουλευτὸν δὲ καὶ προαιρετὸν τὸ αὐτό, πλὴν ἀφωρισμένον ἤδη τὸ προαιρετόν· τὸ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς κριθὲν προαιρετόν ἐστιν.
The object of deliberation and the object of choice are the same, except that the object of choice has already been determined; for what has been decided upon as a result of deliberation is the object of choice.
παύεται γὰρ ἕκαστος ζητῶν πῶς πράξει, ὅταν εἰς αὑτὸν ἀναγάγῃ τὴν ἀρχήν, καὶ αὑτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἡγούμενον· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ προαιρούμενον.
For each person stops investigating how he shall act when he has traced the starting-point back to himself, and indeed to the ruling part of himself; for this is what makes the choice.
δῆλον δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχαίων πολιτειῶν, ἃς Ὅμηρος ἐμιμεῖτο· οἱ γὰρ βασιλεῖς ἃ προείλοντο ἀνήγγελλον τῷ δήμῳ.
This is clear also from the ancient constitutions, which Homer represented; for the kings announced to the people what they had chosen.
ὄντος δὲ τοῦ προαιρετοῦ βουλευτοῦ ὀρεκτοῦ τῶν ἐφʼ ἡμῖν, καὶ ἡ προαίρεσις ἂν εἴη βουλευτικὴ ὄρεξις τῶν ἐφʼ ἡμῖν· ἐκ τοῦ βουλεύσασθαι γὰρ κρίναντες ὀρεγόμεθα κατὰ τὴν βούλευσιν.
Since, then, the object of choice is a deliberable desire for things in our power, choice must be a deliberative desire for things in our power; for we judge as a result of deliberating and then desire in accordance with our deliberation.
ἡ μὲν οὖν προαίρεσις τύπῳ εἰρήσθω, καὶ περὶ ποῖά ἐστι καὶ ὅτι τῶν πρὸς τὰ τέλη.
Let choice, then, be described in outline, and what kind of things it is concerned with, and that it is concerned with means to ends.