Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §7.54.1

Accepting Fate, Acting Justly, and Testing Impressions

Passage 250 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that it is always within one's own power to accept current circumstances, act justly towards others, and scrutinize present impressions to prevent erroneous judgments.

§7.54.1Πανταχοῦ καὶ διηνεκῶς ἐπὶ σοί ἐστι καὶ τῇ παρούσῃ συμβάσει θεοσεβῶς εὐαρεστεῖν καὶ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀνθρώποις κατὰ δικαιοσύνην προσφέρεσθαι καὶ τῇ παρούσῃ φαντασίᾳ ἐμφιλοτεχνεῖν, ἵνα μή τι ἀκατάληπτον παρεισρυῇ.
Everywhere and continuously it is in your power both to be piously satisfied with your present circumstance, and to behave towards the people present according to justice, and to work with artistic care upon your present impression, so that nothing uncomprehended may slip in.

Notes

  1. §7.54.1ἐπὶ σοί ἐστι — An impersonal expression with the dative 'soi' and infinitive clauses, meaning 'it is in your power' or 'it is up to you.' This is a core Stoic formulation indicating what is 'up to us' (eph' hemin).
  2. §7.54.1ἐμφιλοτεχνεῖν — Present active infinitive of 'emphilotechneo' (to work upon with artistic or professional care). Here it refers to the Stoic practice of carefully analyzing and processing a given impression (phantasia) using the art of reason.
  3. §7.54.1ἀκατάληπτον — Neuter nominative singular of the adjective 'akatalepton' (uncomprehended, ungrasped). It is the negation of 'katalepeis' (grasp/comprehension) in Stoic epistemology, showing that one must prevent untested or false impressions from slipping into the mind before proper assent.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §7.54.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.54.1

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