Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §5.26.1

Guarding the Ruling Part from Bodily Pleasures and Pains

Passage 127 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author advises that the ruling part of the soul should remain unaffected by bodily movements (pleasure and pain), limiting those affections to physical parts, and warns against adding value judgments of good or bad to natural sensations.

§5.26.1Τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν καὶ κυριεῦον τῆς ψυχῆς σου μέρος ἄτρεπτον ἔστω ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ λείας ἢ τραχείας κινήσεως καὶ μὴ συγκρινέσθω, ἀλλὰ περιγραφέτω αὑτὸ καὶ περιοριζέτω τὰς πείσεις ἐκείνας ἐν τοῖς μορίοις.
Let the ruling and governing part of your soul remain unaffected by the smooth or rough movement in the flesh, and let it not combine with it, but let it circumscribe itself and limit those affections to their own parts.
ὄταν δὲ ἀναδιδῶνται κατὰ τὴν ἑτέραν συμπάθειαν εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν ὡς ἐν σώματι ἡνωμένῳ, τότε πρὸς μὲν τὴν αἴσθησιν φυσικὴν οὖσαν οὐ πειρατέον ἀντιβαίνειν, τὴν δὲ ὑπόληψιν τὴν ὡς περὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἢ κακοῦ μὴ προστιθέτω τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ.
But when they are transmitted to the mind through the other sympathy, as in a unified body, then you must not attempt to resist the sensation, since it is natural, but let the ruling part not add of itself the opinion that it is good or bad.

Notes

  1. 5.26.1συγκρινέσθω — Third-person singular present passive imperative of the verb συγκρίνω (to combine, mix, or associate). The subject is the 'ruling part' (τὸ ἡγεμονικόν) mentioned earlier. It commands that the rational part of the soul should not fuse or confuse itself with physical movements (pleasure and pain).
  2. 5.26.1τὰς πείσεις — Accusative plural of πείσις (passive state, affection, or impression), serving as the direct object of περιοριζέτω. It refers to the physical affections or impressions resulting from bodily movements, which must be confined within the bodily parts (τοῖς μορίοις) rather than invading the rational mind.
  3. 5.26.1κατὰ τὴν ἑτέραν συμπάθειαν — Meaning 'according to the other sympathy'. This refers to the Stoic doctrine of sympathy (συμπάθεια) between soul and body, by which physical impressions are naturally and automatically transmitted to the intellect (διάνοια) because they constitute a unified organism.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §5.26.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.26.1

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