Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §9.6.1

Sufficiency of Present Judgment and Social Action

Passage 338 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author asserts that it is sufficient if one's present judgment is objective, action is beneficial to society, and disposition accepts external destiny.

§9.6.1Ἀρκεῖ ἡ παροῦσα ὑπόληψις καταληπτικὴ καὶ ἡ παροῦσα πρᾶξις κοινωνικὴ καὶ ἡ παροῦσα διάθεσις εὐαρεστικὴ πρὸς πᾶν τὸ παρὰ τῆς ἐκτὸς αἰτίας συμβαῖνον.
Sufficient is the present conviction if it is cognitive, and the present action if it is social, and the present disposition if it is well-pleased with everything that happens from the external cause.

Notes

  1. §9.6.1καταληπτικὴ — The adjectives καταληπτική, κοινωνική, and εὐαρεστική are placed in the predicate position (outside the article), indicating a predicate condition ('the present conviction being cognitive...'). This emphasizes the importance of these faculties actually possessing these qualities in the present moment.
  2. §9.6.1τὸ παρὰ τῆς ἐκτὸς αἰτίας συμβαῖνον — The articular neuter singular present participle τὸ συμβαῖνον ('that which happens') contains the prepositional phrase παρὰ τῆς ἐκτὸς αἰτίας ('from the external cause'). Here, the adverb ἐκτός is used attributively with the article τῆς to mean 'external'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §9.6.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.6.1

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