Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §11.39.1

Socrates on Rational Souls and the Contradiction of Discord

Passage 451 of 486 · Greek

Summary

Socrates asks people what kind of souls they desire and points out the contradiction of those who claim to possess healthy rational souls yet continue to conflict with one another.

§11.39.1Ὁ Σωκράτης ἔλεγε· τί θέλετε;

Socrates used to say: "What do you want?

λογικῶν ψυχὰς ἔχειν ἢ ἀλόγων; —λογικῶν. —τίνων λογικῶν;

To have souls of rational beings or of irrational ones?" —"Of rational ones." —"Of what kind of rational ones?

ὑγιῶν ἢ φαύλων; —ὑγιῶν. —τί οὖν οὐ ζητεῖτε; —ὅτι ἔχομεν. —τί οὖν μάχεσθε καὶ διαφέρεσθε;

Healthy or base?" —"Healthy." —"Why then do you not seek them?" —"Because we have them." —"Why then do you fight and differ with one another?"

Notes

11.39.1λογικῶν — A plural genitive of the nominalized adjective. Contrasted with the subsequent ἀλόγων (irrational beings), it is best understood as a masculine plural genitive meaning "of rational beings" modifying ψυχὰς (souls). Although it could be taken adjectivally as "rational (souls)", the contrast with "irrational beings" (animals) makes the substantive interpretation more natural.
11.39.1ὅτι ἔχομεν — The conjunction ὅτι introduces the reason. The object of the first-person plural verb ἔχομεν is contextually omitted, referring to "healthy souls of rational beings" agreed upon in the previous question. This reflects the Stoic common assumption that human beings inherently possess a rational soul.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §11.39.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.39.1

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