Reading 12 : The Will of Nature

Reading 12: June 15

Chapters 25.4-26.1 ( end of chapter 25; all of chapter 26)
Translations Due Sunday, June 22 (midnight CST)
Grammar Questions Due Tuesday, June 24 (midnight CST)

Structure of the Enchiridion

Chapters 22-25 give advice on progressing. Chapters 26-28 begin a new section and discuss 'The Discipline of Desire'.

What is the Will of Nature?

The Stoics believed in a single cosmic plan that ruled the world. Epictetus often talks of 'God', 'Zeus' and 'the gods' interchangeably. In chapter 26, Epictetus introduces the phrase 'Τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως'. . The phrase 'the will of nature' occurs twice elsewhere, both in the Discourses. It this context, the term Nature = Zeus. (See Seddon, p. 104 The Greek word φύσις is used in a number of ways by Epictetus, for essence, concept, unique traits of plants and individuals, human nature and more...). The goal of the Stoic is to live in accordance with nature, that unfolding predestined plan that that is constantly before his eyes....yet often unseen.

Yet what happens...just happens, and often there is little one can do. The Stoic must come to accept what has happened and will happen. (See chapter 8, "Don't seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen, and all will be well with you.") The Discipline of Desire means bringing your expectations and hopes in line with 'Nature'. So how does one discern the Will of Nature? Epictetus says to compare and contrast - find the common denominator. The will of Nature is not to be found in the differences between people, but in the common characteristics and experiences that all people share.

The discipline of desire essentially consists in re-placing oneself within the context of the cosmic All, and in becoming aware of human existence as being a part, one that must conform to the will of the Whole, which in this case is equivalent to universal Reason. The discipline of desire will therefore consist in refusing to desire anything other than what is willed by the Nature of the All (Hadot 1998).

Aids to Reading the Greek

Special Words

The meanings of the LSJ lexicon do not always point out or fit the 'Stoic' use of terms. The following list of words which are the behavioral, ethical and philosophical terms that occur in the reading. Some of them are 'Stoic specific'; most are not. As the special vocabulary page is being built, a more complete 'special lexicon' will become available to help understand the Greek word. The Stoic Groups also has a posting of terms (the Greek is transliterated). Here are some of the brief glosses. The freqencies are for the entire Enchiridion.

Corrections to the Text

The Perseus text is unchanged.

Reading 12: Chapters 25.4-26.1

   Basic Reading: 26.1

[26.1a] Τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως καταμαθεῖν ἔστιν ἐξ ὧν οὐ διαφερόμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους. [26.1b] οἷον, ὅταν ἄλλου παιδάριον κατεάξῃ τὸ ποτήριον, πρόχειρον εὐθὺς λέγειν ὅτι "τῶν γινομένων ἐστίν". [26.1c]  ἴσθι οὖν, ὅτι, ὅταν καὶ τὸ σὸν κατεαγῇ, τοιοῦτον εἶναί σε δεῖ, ὁποῖον ὅτε καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἄλλου κατεάγη. [26.1d] οὕτω μετατίθει καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα. τέκνον ἄλλου τέθνηκεν ἢ γυνή; [26.1e] οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς οὐκ ἂν εἴποι ὅτι "ἀνθρώπινον"· [26.1e] ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν τὸ αὐτοῦ τινος ἀποθάνῃ, εὐθὺς "οἴμοι, τάλας ἐγώ". [26.1f] ἐχρῆν δὲ μεμνῆσθαι, τί πάσχομεν περὶ ἄλλων αὐτὸ ἀκούσαντες.

Basic Questions

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Q1. Line 1

Q2. Line

Q3. Line

Q4. Line

Q5. Line

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Q7. Line

The Will of Nature Explained

[13] Ἆρ᾽ οὖν τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μέγα καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν νοῆσαι Χρύσιππον ἢ ἐξηγήσασθαι; καὶ τίς λέγει τοῦτο; τί οὖν τὸ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν; [14] νοῆσαι τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως. τί οὖν; αὐτὸς διὰ σεαυτοῦ παρακολουθεῖς; καὶ τίνος ἔτι χρείαν ἔχεις; εἰ γὰρ ἀληθές ἐστι τὸ πάντας ἄκοντας ἁμαρτάνειν, σὺ δὲ καταμεμάθηκας τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀνάγκη σε ἤδη κατορθοῦν. [15] ἀλλὰ νὴ Δία οὐ παρακολουθῶ τῷ βουλήματι τῆς φύσεως. τίς οὖν ἐξηγεῖται αὐτό; λέγουσιν ὅτι Χρύσιππος. [16] ἔρχομαι καὶ ἐπιζητῶ τί λέγει οὗτος ὁ ἐξηγητὴς τῆς φύσεως. ἄρχομαι μὴ νοεῖν τί λέγει, ζητῶ τὸν ἐξηγούμενον. "ἴδε ἐπίσκεψαι, πῶς τοῦτο λέγεται, καθάπερ εἰ Ῥωμαϊστί. [17] " ποία οὖν ἐνθάδ᾽ ὀφρὺς τοῦ ἐξηγουμένου; οὐδ᾽ αὐτοῦ Χρυσίππου δικαίως, εἰ μόνον ἐξηγεῖται τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως, αὐτὸς δ᾽ οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ: πόσῳ πλέον τοῦ ἐκεῖνον ἐξηγουμένου; [18] οὐδὲ γὰρ Χρυσίππου χρείαν ἔχομεν δι᾽ αὐτόν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα παρακολουθήσωμεν τῇ φύσει. οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ θύτου δι᾽ αὐτόν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι δι᾽ ἐκείνου κατανοήσειν οἰόμεθα τὰ μέλλοντα καὶ σημαινόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν θεῶν, οὐδὲ τῶν σπλάγχνων δι᾽ αὐτά, [19] ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι δι᾽ ἐκείνων σημαίνεται, οὐδὲ τὸν κόρακα θαυμάζομεν ἢ τὴν κορώνην, ἀλλὰ τὸν θεὸν σημαίνοντα διὰ τούτων.

George Long's translation (1890)

Is this then the great and wondrous thing to understand or interpret Chrysippus? Who says this?—What then is the wondrous thing?—To understand the will of nature. Well then do you apprehend it yourself by your own power? and what more have you need of? For if it is true that all men err involuntarily, and you have learned the truth, of necessity you must act right.—But in truth I do not apprehend the will of nature. Who then tells us what it is?—They say that it is Chrysippus.—I proceed, and I inquire what this interpreter of nature says. I begin not to understand what he says: I seek an interpreter of Chrysippus.—Well, consider how this is said, just as if it were said in the Roman tongue.7—What then is this superciliousness of the interpreter?8 There is no superciliousness which can justly be charged even to Chrysippus, if he only interprets the will of nature, but does not follow it himself; and much more is this so with his interpreter. For we have no need of Chrysippus for his own sake, but in order that we may understand nature. Nor do we need a diviner (sacrificer) on his own account, but because we think that through him we shall know the future and understand the signs given by the gods; nor do we need the viscera of animals for their own sake, but because through them signs are given; nor do we look with wonder on the crow or raven, but on God, who through them gives signs?9

The Deity Directs the All

[9] Τὸ ἔργον τοῦ φιλοσοφοῦντος τοιοῦτόν τι φανταζόμεθα. λοιπὸν ἐφεξῆς τούτῳ ζητοῦμεν, πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο. ὁρῶμεν οὖν ὅτι ὁ τέκτων μαθών τινα γίνεται τέκτων, [10] ὁ κυβερνήτης μαθών τινα γίνεται κυβερνήτης. μή ποτ᾽ οὖν καὶ ἐνθάδε οὐκ ἀπαρκεῖ τὸ βούλεσθαι καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι, χρεία δὲ καὶ μαθεῖν τινα; ζητοῦμεν οὖν τίνα ταῦτα. [11] λέγουσιν οἱ φιλόσοφοι, ὅτι μαθεῖν δεῖ πρῶτον τοῦτο, ὅτι ἔστι θεὸς καὶ προνοεῖ τῶν ὅλων καὶ οὐκ ἔστι λαθεῖν αὐτὸν οὐ μόνον ποιοῦντα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ διανοούμενον ἢ ἐνθυμούμενον: εἶτα ποῖοί τινες εἰσίν. [12] οἷοι γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνοι εὑρεθῶσιν, τὸν ἐκείνοις ἀρέσοντα καὶ πεισθησόμενον ἀνάγκη πειρᾶσθαι κατὰ δύναμιν ἐξομοιοῦσθαι ἐκείνοις: [13] εἰ πιστόν ἐστι τὸ θεῖον, καὶ τοῦτον εἶναι πιστόν: εἰ ἐλεύθερον, καὶ τοῦτον ἐλεύθερον: εἰ εὐεργετικόν, καὶ τοῦτον εὐεργετικόν: εἰ μεγαλόφρον, καὶ τοῦτον μεγαλόφρονα: ὡς θεοῦ τοίνυν ζηλωτὴν τὰ ἑξῆς πάντα καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν.

George Long Translation 1890

Something like this is what we take to be the work of a philosopher. It remains to inquire, how it is to be effected. Now, we see that a carpenter becomes a carpenter by learning certain things; and a pilot, by learning certain. things, becomes a pilot. Probably, then, it is not sufficient, in the present case, merely to be willing to be wise and good; but it is moreover necessary that certain things should be learned. What these things are, is the question. The philosophers say that we are first to learn that there is a God, and that his providence directs the whole; and that it is not merely impossible to conceal from him our actions, but even our thoughts and emotions. We are next to learn what the gods are; for such as they are found to be, such must he seek to be to the utmost of his power, who would please and obey them. If the Deity is faithful, he too must be faithful; if free, beneficent, and noble, he must be free, beneficent, and noble likewise, in all his words and actions behaving as an imitator of God.

Collected Notes on the text.

The order of the notes may be out of order in relation to the text.

Sentences numbered for sending in the translations

Optional Reading: 25.4-25.5
[2504a] τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἐνταῦθα.
[2504b] οὐ παρεκλήθης ἐφ᾽ ἑστίασίν τινος;
[2504c] οὐ γὰρ ἔδωκας τῷ καλοῦντι, ὅσου πωλεῖ τὸ δεῖπνον.
[2504d] ἐπαίνου δ᾽ αὐτὸ πωλεῖ, θεραπείας πωλεῖ.
[2504e] δὸς οὖν τὸ διάφορον, εἰ σοι λυσιτελεῖ, ὅσου πωλεῖται.
[2504f] εἰ δὲ κἀκεῖνα θέλεις μὴ προΐεσθαι καὶ ταῦτα λαμβάνειν, ἄπληστος εἶ καὶ ἀβέλτερος.
[2505a] οὐδὲν οὖν ἔχεις ἀντὶ τοῦ δείπνου;
[2505b] ἔχεις μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ ἐπαινέσαι τοῦτον, ὃν οὐκ ἤθελες, τὸ μὴ ἀνασχέσθαι αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς εἰσόδου.

Basic Reading: 26.1
[2601a] Τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως καταμαθεῖν ἔστιν ἐξ ὧν οὐ διαφερόμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
[2601b] οἷον, ὅταν ἄλλου παιδάριον κατεάξῃ τὸ ποτήριον, πρόχειρον εὐθὺς λέγειν ὅτι "τῶν γινομένων ἐστίν".
[2601c]  ἴσθι οὖν, ὅτι, ὅταν καὶ τὸ σὸν κατεαγῇ, τοιοῦτον εἶναί σε δεῖ, ὁποῖον ὅτε καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἄλλου κατεάγη.
[2601d] οὕτω μετατίθει καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα. τέκνον ἄλλου τέθνηκεν ἢ γυνή;
[2601e] οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς οὐκ ἂν εἴποι ὅτι "ἀνθρώπινον"·
[2601e] ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν τὸ αὐτοῦ τινος ἀποθάνῃ, εὐθὺς "οἴμοι, τάλας ἐγώ".
[2601f] ἐχρῆν δὲ μεμνῆσθαι, τί πάσχομεν περὶ ἄλλων αὐτὸ ἀκούσαντες.

Table of Words

The local gloss is context-specific. The word-link and lemma-link are linked to the Perseus Hopper vocabulary tool. I have gone through the Greek lemma and verified them for accuracy - but there may still be some errors. Many of the definitions have been taken from the following translations: Mattheson, Boter, White, Oldfather and Long. If you have a better suggestion for a word, send in the word number, Greek word and suggested gloss, and I will add it into the vocabulary list.

A note of caution: Perseus does not always work as expected. The links are betacode which works better than sending in Greek Unicode lookups. But sometimes it still will not work. In addition, Perseus is often slow - if you see it cranking and cranking, try later, the server is too busy. An example of unexpected results is as follows: the neuter plural form ἀπαραπόδιστα returns 'not found'; the root lemma ἀπαραπόδιστος brings up its own correct entry. Some words are only listed in the Middle LSJ, not the main LSJ (e.g. οὐδέπω). So if you look up οὐδέπω in the Archimedes Harvard LSJ or your own personal copy, you won't find it.

The columns for vocabulary frequency are compiled from Perseus' Max frequency for the Enchiridion (EnchX) and all of Epictetus' works (EpicX including the Enchiridion). The New Testament frequencies are from Tischendorf's NT as provided by MorphGnt.org. Words are linked on betacode, but some lemmas do not link correctly (a problem that will be fixed over time), thus there are occasionally NTX freqencies that are missing or partial. When comparing the frequency of the various works, you should remember the Enchiridion (4983 words) is about the same length as the book of Hebrews (4953 words) and all Epictetus' writings (The Discourses - 75,177 words, Fragments - 4023 words,and Enchiridion - 4983 words; grand total - 84183) are 60% of the length of the New Testament (138,019 words). Although both the Epictus' works and the New Testament books are different in content and author, if you multiply the Epictetus frequency by 1.6 (EpicX x 1.6) you can come up with a comparable usage between the two works.