Ethica II.

Concerning Goods and Evils.

68 Plutarch, On Stoic Self-Contradictions, ch. 9, p. 1035c. Again, in the Physical Theses: “For it is not possible to approach the subject of goods and evils, 5 nor the virtues, nor happiness, in any other or more appropriate way than from the common nature and from the administration of the cosmos.” Having proceeded, he says again: “For it is necessary to connect the subject of goods and evils to these, there being no other better principle or reference point for them, nor any reason for the study of physics to be taken up other than for the sake of the distinction concerning goods and evils.”

69 Plutarch, On Stoic Self-Contradictions, ch. 17, p. 1041e. The subject of goods and evils, which he himself introduces and tests, “he says is most consistent with life and especially touches upon innate 15 preconceptions.” For he said these things in the third book of his Exhortations.

70 Stobaeus, Eclogues II 57, 19 W. Of existing things, some are good, some are bad, and some are indifferent. Goods are things such as: prudence, temperance, justice, courage, and everything that is a virtue or participates in virtue. Evils are things such as: folly, intemperance, injustice, cowardice, and everything that is a vice or participates in vice. Indifferent things are such as: life, death, fame, infamy, pleasure, pain, wealth, poverty, health, sickness, and things similar to these.

71 Sextus Empiricus, Against the Mathematicians XI 3. Those from the ancient Academy and those from the Peripatos, and furthermore those of the Stoa, are accustomed to divide existing things and say that some are good, some are bad, and some are between these, which they also call indifferent.

§ 1. The concept of the good.

72 Cicero, On Ends III 33. And since concepts of things are formed in the mind, if something is known either by experience, or by combination, or by similarity, or by comparison of reason four modes of acquiring knowledge, this fourth mode, which I have placed last, brings the concept of the good.