Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §11.5.1

The Art of Being Good and Its Guiding Principles

Passage 417 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author defines his "art" as "being good" and asserts that this can only be achieved through principles concerning both the nature of the whole and the constitution of man.

§11.5.1Τίς σου ἡ τέχνη;
What is your art?
ἀγαθὸν εἶναι.
To be good.
τοῦτο δὲ πῶς καλῶς γίνεται ὴ ἐκ θεωρημάτων, τῶν μὲν περὶ τῆς τοῦ ὅλου φύσεως, τῶν δὲ περὶ τῆς ἰδίας τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατασκευῆς.
And how is this well done except from principles, some concerning the nature of the whole, and others concerning the specific constitution of man?

Notes

  1. §11.5.1ἢ ἐκ θεωρημάτων — In a question introduced by the interrogative `πῶς`, `ἢ` functions as "except" or "other than". The entire phrase means "how else can this be well done except from principles?", implying a rhetorical negative.
  2. §11.5.1τῶν μὲν ... τῶν δὲ — Genitive article forms modifying the preceding neuter noun `θεωρημάτων` (principles/theorems), divided by `μὲν ... δέ` to distinguish two categories: "some [concerning...] ... others [concerning...]".

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §11.5.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.5.1

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