Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §8.26.1

Joy Found in Performing the Proper Human Work

Passage 297 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that human joy lies in performing actions proper to human nature, which include goodwill toward fellow humans, control over sensory movements, examination of impressions, and contemplation of nature.

§8.26.1Εὐφροσύνη ἀνθρώπου ποιεῖν τὰ ἴδια ἀνθρώπου, ἴδιον δὲ ἀνθρώπου εὔνοια πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον, ὑπερόρασις τῶν αἰσθητικῶν κινήσεων, διάκρισις τῶν πιθανῶν φαντασιῶν, ἐπιθεώρησις τῆς τῶν ὅλων φύσεως καὶ τῶν κατ̓ αὐτὴν γινομένων.
The joy of a human being is to do the things proper to a human being. And what is proper to a human being is goodwill toward his own kind, disregard of the movements of the senses, discernment of plausible appearances, and contemplation of the nature of the whole and of the things that happen according to it.

Notes

  1. 8.26.1Εὐφροσύνη — This is an incomplete copulative sentence with 'joy' (Εὐφροσύνη) at the beginning as the subject and the infinitive 'to do' (ποιεῖν) as the complement. In the second half, starting with 'what is proper' (ἴδιον), the copula (ἐστί) is omitted, and the four noun phrases (εὔνοια, ὑπερόρασις, διάκρισις, ἐπιθεώρησις) are coordinated as its subjects.
  2. 8.26.1τῶν πιθανῶν φαντασιῶν — Meaning 'plausible appearances' or 'persuasive impressions.' In Stoic epistemology, it refers to subjective impressions (φαντασία) that appear plausible at first sight but whose truth value must be suspended until they undergo 'discernment' or 'critical evaluation' (διάκρισις) by reason.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §8.26.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.26.1

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