From this all morality and propriety are derived, and upon it depends the rational method of ascertaining our duty. There are also certain duties to be observed toward those who may have injured you. 28 (Leipzig, 1963) 1-123. [100] Further, as to the duty which has its source in propriety, the first road on which it conducts us leads to harmony with Nature and the faithful observance of her laws. BOOK I. Diversities of character are greater still. 8. For generosity is of two kinds: doing a kindness and requiting one. An XML version of this text is available for download, [21] There is, however, no such thing as private ownership established by nature, but property becomes private either through long occupancy (as in the case of those who long ago settled in unoccupied territory) or through conquest (is in the case of those who took it in war) or by due process of law, bargain, or purchase, or by allotment. But of all forms of injustice, none is more flagrant than that of the hypocrite who, at the very moment when he is most false, makes it his business to appear virtuous. The writings of Marcus Tullius Cicero constitute one of the most famous bodies of historical and philosophical work in all of classical antiquity. In the third and final book of On Duties Cicero argues that following nature is to embrace the path of virtue and right as the truly expedient. [32] For a given promise or agreement may turn out in such a way that its performance will prove detrimental either to the one to whom the promise has been made or to the one who has made it. All these professions are occupied with the search after truth; but to be drawn by study away from active life is contrary to moral duty. Accordingly, the teaching of ethics is the peculiar right of the Stoics, the Academicians, and the Peripatetics; for the theories of Aristo, Pyrrho, and Erillus have been long since rejected; and yet they would have the right to discuss duty if they had left us any power of choosing between things, so that there might be a way of finding out what duty is. [17] Before the three remaining virtues, on the other hand, is set the task of providing and maintaining those things on which the practical business of life depends so that the relations of man to man in human society may be conserved, and that largeness and nobility of soul may be revealed not only in increasing oneâs resources and acquiring advantages for oneâs self and oneâs family but far more in rising superior to these very things. [23] The foundation of justice, moreover, is good faith;âthat is, truth and fidelity to promises and agreements. If, therefore these schools should claim to be consistent, they could not say anything about duty; and no fixed, invariable, natural rules of duty can be posited except by those who say that moral goodness is worth seeking solely or chiefly for its own sake. This work is licensed under a Cicero The Latin Library The Classics Page The Latin Library The Classics Page Language Latin. Copyright 2020 The Witherspoon Institute. For otherwise we cannot maintain such progress as we have made in the direction of virtue. Cicero was a Roman statesman and politician, born in 106 BCE, a member of the lower aristocracy called theordo equester or the equestrians. [53] Then, too, there are a great many degrees of closeness or remoteness in human society. On Duties (De Officiis) Print PDF. With An English Translation. [11] 4. which, I am told, the malicious and envious are wont to rail: âYield, ye arms, to the toga; to civic praises, a ye laurels.â b Not to mention other instances, did not arms yield to the toga, when I was at the helm of state? Starting with that infinite bond of union of the human race in general, the conception is now confined to a small and narrow circle. All needful material assistance is, therefore, due first of all to those whom I have named; but intimate relationship of life and living, counsel, conversation, encouragement, comfort, and sometimes even reproof flourish best in friendships. If these errors are successfully avoided, all the labour and pains expended upon problems that are morally right and worth the solving will be fully rewarded. [4] But since I have decided to write you a little now (and a great deal by and by), I wish, if possible, to begin with a matter most suited at once to your years and to my position. Bold numbers in brackets indicate the standard divisions in Ciceroâs texts in which are found in whole or part the sections reproduced here. It is the function of justice not to do wrong to oneâs fellow-men; of considerateness, not to wound their feelings; and in this the essence of propriety is best seen. Deo Gratias Amen. And this is the foundation of civil government, the nursery, as it were, of the state. But, for the most part, people are led to wrong-doing in order to secure some personal end; in this vice, avarice is generally the controlling motive. ("Agamemnon", "Hom. De Officiis, along with his Republic/Commonwealth and Laws, serve as Ciceroâs longstanding political legacy to the West. There is, too, a difference between justice and considerateness in oneâs relations to oneâs fellow-men. Not at all. [24] Then, too, those very wrongs which people try to inflict on purpose to injure are often the result of fear: that is, he who premeditates injuring another is afraid that, if he does not do so, he may himself be made to suffer some hurt. With the foregoing exposition, I think it is clear what the nature is of what we term propriety. We need only to look at the faces of men in a rage or under the influence of some passion or fear or beside themselves with extravagant joy: in every instance their features, voices, motions, attitudes undergo a change. Thus the question which Panaetius thought threefold ought, we find, to be divided into five parts. [12] Nature likewise by the power of reason associates man with man in the common bonds of speech and life; she implants in him alone above all, I may say, a strangely tender love for his offspring. Besides, the working of the mind, which is never at rest, can keep us busy in the pursuit of knowledge even without conscious effort on our part. [16] For the more clearly anyone observes the most essential truth in any given case and the more quickly and accurately he can see and explain the reasons for it, the more understanding and wise he is generally esteemed, and justly so. [41] But let us remember that we must have regard for justice even towards the humblest. On Duties (De Officiis), Books 1 and 3 (Excerpts) By Cicero [Marcus Tullius Cicero. Loeb edn. 4, Diet of Metz (1356/57) (1,074 words) [view diff] case mismatch in snippet view article imperial insignia) 27 Function of the electors at festive diets (Latin De officiis principum electorum in solempnibus curiis imperatorum vel regum Romanorum) changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 11 inches Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Customer Reviews: 4.2 out of 5 stars 23 customer ratings; Hide browse bar [The next selection from the full text finds Cicero treating the fellowship of the entire human community, the various levels or kinds of community and the special nature of friendship. It is, therefore, an excellent rule that they give who bid us not to do a thing, when there is a doubt whether it be right or wrong; for righteousness shines with a brilliance of its own, but doubt is a sign that we are thinking of a possible wrong. But since the resources of individuals are limited and the number of the needy is infinite, this spirit of universal liberality must be regulated according to that test of EnniusââNo less shines hisââin order that we may continue to have the means for being generous to our friends. Your current position in the text is marked in blue. It may, for example, not be a duty to restore a trust or to fulfil a promise, and it may become right and proper sometimes to evade and not to observe what truth and honour would usually demand. [35] The only excuse, therefore, for going to war is that we may live in peace unharmed; and when the victory is won, we should spare those who have not been blood-thirsty and barbarous in their warfare. The translation from Book 1.4 above comes from the Perseus Project (the 1913 Miller/Loeb translation). If, for example, Neptune, in the drama, had not carried out his promise to Theseus, Theseus would not have lost his son Hippolytus; for, as the story runs, of the three wishes that Neptune had promised to grant him the third was this: in a fit of anger he prayed for the death of Hippolytus, and the granting of this prayer plunged him into unspeakable grief. For no phase of life, whether public or private, whether in business or in the home, whether one is working on what concerns oneself alone or dealing with another, can be without its moral duty; on the discharge of such duties depends all that is morally right, and on their neglect all that is morally wrong in life. Marcus Tullius Cicero. [29] Now since we have set forth the two kinds of injustice and assigned the motives that lead to each, and since we have previously established the principles by which justice is constituted, we shall be in a position easily to decide what our duty on each occasion is, unless we are extremely self-centred; [30] for indeed it is not an easy matter to be really concerned with other peopleâs affairs; and yet in Terenceâs play, we know, Chremes âthinks that nothing that concerns man is foreign to him.â Nevertheless, when things turn out for our own good or ill, we realize it more fully and feel it more deeply than when the same things happen to others and we see them only, as it were, in the far distance; and for this reason we judge their case differently from our own. [68] Now the law disposes of sharp practices in one way, philosophers in another: the law deals with them as far as it can lay its strong arm upon them; philosophers, as far as they can be apprehended by reason and conscience. on Amazon.com. It is for this reason that our forefathers chose to understand one thing by the universal law and another by the civil law. Consulta qui la traduzione all'italiano di Paragrafo 28, Libro 1 dell'opera latina De Officiis, di Cicerone [7] Since, therefore, the whole discussion is to be on the subject of duty, I should like at the outset to define what duty is, as, to my surprise, Panaetius has failed to do. Cicero, De Officiis 1.14. [Shortly after this point in the complete text some important passages on the requisites of justice and the often later utilized images of the lion and fox appear.]. The works of Ward, Blair, and Witherspoon have many similarities that all span from their underlying Ciceronianism. This is the first Modern English translation of Ambrose's Latin. Hence we may clearly see how wide is the application not only of that propriety which is essential to moral rectitude in general, but also of the special propriety which is displayed in each particular subdivision of virtue. quam ob rem magnopere te hortor mi cicero ut non solum orationes meas sed hos etiam de philosophia libros qui iam illis fere se aequarunt studiose legas uis enim maior in illis dicendi sed hoc quoque colendum est aequabile et temperatum orationis genus et id quidem nemini uideo ... Cicero De Officiis 1 3 Hi there. First, therefore, we must discuss the moralâand that, under two sub-heads; secondly, in the same manner, the expedient; and finally, the cases where they must be weighed against each other. section 1 section 2 section 3 section 4 section 5 section 6 section 7 section 8 section 9 section 10 section 11 section 12 section 13 section 14 section 15 section 16 section 17 section 18 section 19 section 20 section 21 section 22 section 23 section 24 section 25 section 26 ... M. Tullius Cicero. Books 1 and 3. Then follow the bonds between brothers and sisters, and next those of first and then of second cousins; and when they can no longer be sheltered under one roof, they go out into other homes, as into colonies. Such acts of generosity are not to be so highly esteemed as those which are performed with judgment deliberation, and mature consideration. Perseus provides credit for all accepted Hunter College, CUNY John R.Wallach POLSC 201 Fall, 2020 READING QUESTIONS: CICERO, On Duties (De Officiis) Cicero writes out of the Stoic tradition of philosophizing, which originated in ancient Greece but became significantly more prominent in Rome. But if there shall be obligations already incurred, so that kindness is not to begin with us, but to be requited, still greater diligence, it seems, is called for; for no duty is more imperative that that of proving oneâs gratitude. For if we bring a certain amount of propriety and order into the transactions of daily life, we shall be conserving moral rectitude and moral dignity. 4. Login or signup free. [section 8 is extant but is omitted here], [9] The consideration necessary to determine conduct is, therefore, as. Translated by Thomas Habinek 2012: And so, Marcus, I strongly encourage you to study both my speeches and my philosophical treatises, which are almost as numerous. But in bestowing a kindness, as well as in making a requital, the first rule of duty requires usâother things being equalâto lend assistance preferably to people in proportion to their individual need. Every duty, therefore, that tends effectively to maintain and safeguard human society should be given the preference over that duty which arises from speculation and science alone. And so, when we have leisure from the demands of business cares, we are eager to see, to hear, to learn something new, and we esteem a desire to know the secrets or wonders of creation as indispensable to a happy life. [101] Now we find that the essential activity of the spirit is twofold: one force is appetite (that is, hormé, in Greek), which impels a man this way and that; the other is reason, which teaches and explains what should be done and what should be left undone. In this example he effectively teaches us all to bestow even upon a stranger what it costs us nothing to give. But the most marked difference between man and beast is this: the beast, just as far as it is moved by the senses and with very little perception of past or future, adapts itself to that alone which is present at the moment; while manâbecause he is endowed with reason, by which he comprehends the chain of consequences, perceives the causes of things, understands the relation of cause to effect and of effect to cause, draws analogies, and connects and associates the present and the futureâeasily surveys the course of his whole life and makes the necessary preparations for its conduct. De Officiis. For if we do not hesitate to confer favours upon those who we hope will be of help to us, how ought we to deal with those who have already helped us? [69] Owing to the low ebb of public sentiment, such a method of procedure, I find, is neither by custom accounted morally wrong nor forbidden either by statute or by civil law; nevertheless it is forbidden by the moral law [law of nature (naturae lege)]. Then follow between these in turn, marriages and connections by marriage, and from these again a new stock of relations; and from this propagation and after-growth states have their beginnings. : Harvard University Press. It was during this period of political upheav⦠Starting with that infinite bond of union of the human race in general, the conception is now confined to a small and narrow circle. Promises are, therefore, not to be kept, if the keeping of them is to prove harmful to those to whom you have made them; and, if the fulfilment of a promise should do more harm to you than good to him to whom you have made it, it is no violation of moral duty to give the greater good precedence over the lesser good. Another strong bond of fellowship is effected by mutual interchange of kind services; and as long as these kindnesses are mutual and acceptable, those between whom they are interchanged are united by the ties of an enduring intimacy. options are on the right side and top of the page. Translated by Walter Miller. [31] But occasions often arise, when those duties which seem most becoming to the just man and to the âgood man,â as we call him, undergo a change and take on a contrary aspect. [, But a still closer social union exists between kindred. Natural Law, Natural Rights, and American Constitutionalism. [20] Of the three remaining divisions, the most extensive in its application is the principle by which society and what we may call its âcommon bondsâ are maintained. Marcus Tullius Cicero. And then they examine and consider the question whether the action contemplated is or is not conducive to comfort and happiness in life, to the command of means and wealth, to influence, and to power, by which they may be able to help themselves and their friends; this whole matter turns upon a question of expediency. Now the humblest station and the poorest fortune are those of slaves; and they give us no bad rule who bid us treat our slaves as we should our employees: they must be required to work; they must be given their dues. Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page 1913. : Harvard University Press. 11. But in deciding this we must above all give due weight to the spirit, the devotion, the affection that prompted the favour. [54] For since the reproductive instinct is by Natureâs gift the common possession of all living creatures, the first bond of union is that between husband and wife; the next, that between parents and children; then we find one home, with everything in common. And yet moral goodness, in the true and proper sense of the term, is the exclusive possession of the wise and can never be separated from virtue; but those who have not perfect wisdom cannot possibly have perfect moral goodness, but only a semblance of it. Cicero, perhaps the most famous of the Roman philosophers, wrote an influential treatise on duties and obligations published after his death. [36] As for war, humane laws touching it are drawn up in the fetial code of the Roman People under all the guarantees of religion; and from this it may be gathered that no war is just, unless it is entered upon after an official demand for satisfaction has been submitted or warning has been given and a formal declaration made. This was Cicero's last year alive, and he was 62 years of age. First of all, Nature has endowed every species 1 of living creature with the instinct of self-preservation, of avoiding what seems likely to cause injury to life or limb, and of procuring and providing everything needful for lifeâfood, shelter, and the like. While wrong may be done, then, in either of two ways, that is, by force or by fraud, both are bestial: fraud seems to belong to the cunning fox, force to the lion; both are wholly unworthy of man, but fraud is the more contemptible. 1. And that friendship is sweetest which is cemented by congeniality of character. This is Ciceroâs major ethical writing and his final philosophical work, done in the last year and a half of his life. [56] And while every virtue attracts us and makes us love those who seem to possess it, still justice and generosity do so most of all. [19] The other error is that some people devote too much industry and too deep study to matters that are obscure and difficult and useless as well. [17] For these reasons it is unlawful either to weigh true morality against conflicting expediency, or common morality, which is cultivated by those who wish to be considered good men, against what is profitable; but we every-day people must observe and live up to that moral right which comes within the range of our comprehension as jealously as the truly wise men have to observe and live up to that which is morally right in the technical and true sense of the word. So much the more execrable are those monsters who have torn their fatherland to pieces with every form of outrage and who are and have been engaged in compassing her utter destruction. On Duties (De Officiis) - Book I Lyrics. As a result strength of character and self-control will shine forth in all their lustre. M. Tullius Cicero. [5] Moreover, the subject of this inquiry is the common property of all philosophers; for who would presume to call himself a philosopher, if he did not inculcate any lessons of duty? [This selection from Book I picks up at a later point where Cicero is found emphasizing again the need for overcoming excessive attachment to oneâs self in order to understand well what is right, and here he presents the basic rule of not doing harm and serving always the common good.]. [, There are, on the other hand, two kinds of injusticeâthe one, on the part of those who inflict wrong, the other on the part of those who, when they can, do not shield from wrong those upon whom it is being inflicted. [22] But since, as Plato has admirably expressed it, we are not born for ourselves alone, but our country claims a share of our being, and our friends a share; and since, as the Stoics hold, everything that the earth produces is created for manâs use; and as men, too, are born for the sake of men, that they may be able mutually to help one another; in this direction we ought to follow Nature as our guide, to contribute to the general good by an interchange of acts of kindness, by giving and receiving, and thus by our skill, our industry, and our talents to cement human society more closely together, man to man. Every treatise on duty has two parts: one, dealing with the doctrine of the supreme good; the other with the practical rules by which daily life in all its bearings may be regulated. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. But of all the bonds of fellowship, there is none more noble, none more powerful than when good men of congenial character are joined in intimate friendship; for really, if we discover in another that moral goodness on which I dwell so much, it attracts us and makes us friends to the one in whose character it seems to dwell. Books 1 and 3. http://www.stoics.com/cicero_book.html (Accessed 24 May 2008). Thus we come to understand that what is true, simple, and genuine appeals most strongly to a manâs nature. Again, every action ought to be free from undue haste or carelessness; neither ought we to do anything for which we cannot assign a reasonable motive; for in these words we have practically a definition of duty. [15] You see here, Marcus, my son, the very form and as it were the face of Moral Goodness; âand if,â as Plato says, âit could be seen with the physical eye, it would awaken a marvellous love of wisdom.â But all that is morally right rises from some one of four sources: it is concerned either (1) with the full perception and intelligent development of the true; or (2) with the conservation of organized society, with rendering to every man his due, and with the faithful discharge of obligations assumed; or (3) with the greatness and strength of a noble and invincible spirit; or (4) with the orderliness and moderation of everything that is said and done, wherein consist temperance and self-control. Translated by Walter Miller. De Officiis. Cicero, De Officiis; C. Atzert, ed., Teubner fasc. Book 1, understandably emphasizing the importance of philosophy bearing fruit in form of moral guidance, explains the discerning of the way or law of nature in the inclinations to the virtues in human beings. . 1913. And among our countrymen justice has been observed so conscientiously in this direction, that those who have given promise of protection to states or nations subdued in war become, after the custom of our forefathers, the patrons of those states. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License. For the whole glory of virtue is in activity; activity, however, may often be interrupted, and many opportunities for returning to study are opened. On Duties (De Officiis), Books 1 and 3 (Excerpts) By Cicero, [Marcus Tullius Cicero. For every systematic development of any subject ought to begin with a definition, so that everyone may understand what the discussion is about. For indifference to public opinion implies not merely self-sufficiency, but even total lack of principle. For, as physical beauty with harmonious symmetry of the limbs engages the attention and delights the eye, for the very reason that all the parts combine in harmony and grace, so this propriety, which shines out in our conduct, engages the approbation of our fellow-men by the order, consistency, and self-control it imposes upon every word and deed. line to jump to another position: Book III: the conflict between the right and the expedient, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License, http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi055.perseus-eng1:1.11, http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi055.perseus-eng1, http://data.perseus.org/texts/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi055, http://data.perseus.org/catalog/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi055.perseus-eng1. I only wish that we were true even to this; for, even as it is, it is drawn from the excellent models which Nature and Truth afford. The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text. With this we close the discussion of the first source of duty. Cicero de Officiis. For many people often do favours impulsively for everybody without discrimination, prompted by a morbid sort of benevolence or by a sudden impulse of the heart, shifting the wind. Cicero, De Officiis, iii. Cambridge, Mass. Atque etiam alia divisio est officii. De officiis [., Cicero, Gardiner, George B.] Further than this, who fails to see that those promises are not binding which are extorted by intimidation or which we make when misled by false pretences? Click anywhere in the [34] Then, too, in the case of a state in its external relations, the rights of war must be strictly observed. De Officiis(On Dutiesor On Obligations) is a treatise by Marcus Tullius Cicerodivided into three books, in which Cicero expounds his conception of the best way to live, behave, and observe moral obligations. Expl. For when appetites overstep their bounds and, galloping away, so to speak, whether in desire or aversion, are not well held in hand by reason, they clearly overleap all bound and measure; for they throw obedience off and leave it behind and refuse to obey the reins of reason, to which they are subject by Natureâs laws. It is from these elements that is forged and fashioned that moral goodness which is the subject of this inquiryâsomething that, even though it be not generally ennobled, is still worthy of all honour and by its own nature, we correctly maintain, it merits praise even though it be praised by none. [In Book 2 Cicero has explored the appeal, from the justifiable to the excessive, of the useful or expedient. For he who, under the influence of anger or some other passion, wrongfully assaults another seems, as it were, to be laying violent hands upon a comrade; but he who does not prevent or oppose wrong, if he can, is just as guilty of wrong as if he deserted his parents or his friends or his country. For it is only when they agree with Natureâs laws that we should give our approval to the movements not only of the body, but still more of the spirit. 1913. [, In this example he effectively teaches us all to bestow even upon a stranger what it costs us nothing to give. [18] Now, of the four divisions which we have made of the essential idea of moral goodness, the first, consisting in the knowledge of truth, touches human nature most closely. DE OFFICIIS LIBRI TRES LIBER PRIMUS Quamquam te, Marce fili, annum iam audientem 1.1.1 Cratippum idque Athenis abundare oportet praecep- tis institutisque philosophiae propter summam et doc- toris auctoritatem et urbis, quorum alter te scientia augere potest, altera exemplis, tamen, ut ipse ad meam 5 We should, therefore, adopt these principles and always be contributing something to the common weal. In my opinion, at least, we should always strive to secure a peace that shall not admit of guile. line to jump to another position: 1 The essential differences between man and the lower animals. But orderly behaviour and consistency of demeanor and self-control and the like have their sphere in that department of things in which a certain amount of physical exertion, and not mental activity merely, is required. [30] For, if merely, for oneâs own benefit one were to take something away from a man, though he were a perfectly worthless fellow, it would be an act of meanness and contrary to Natureâs law. Liber primus Rainer Lohmann prosa 1 De Officiis Einführung Liber tertius Einleitung Ethik als Thema Definition und Einteilung der Pflichten 1. Current location in this text. 11, Pro Balbo, 23, Pro Archia Poeta, 5, De Lege Agraria, i. Now reason demands that nothing be done with unfairness, with false pretence, or with misrepresentation. Of this again there are two divisionsâjustice, in which is the crowning glory of the virtues and on the basis of which men are called âgood menâ; and, close akin to justice, charity, which may also be called kindness or generosity. I shall, therefore, at this time and in this investigation follow chiefly the Stoics, not as a translator, but, as is my custom, I shall at my own option and discretion draw from those sources in such measure and in such manner as shall suit my purpose. So extremely scrupulous was the observance of the laws in regard to the conduct of war. Cicero adapts this philosophy in De Officiis to provide moral (i.e., ethical and political) guidance for his son. For there is a bond of fellowshipâalthough I have often made this statement, I must still repeat it again and againâwhich has the very widest application, uniting all men together and each to each. 2) that concentrates on Ambrose's debts to Cicero. (39): Cross-references in indexes to this page But it seems we must trace back to their ultimate sources the principles of fellowship and society that Nature has established among men. 83v-84r [Title:] Meditationes ad Ipsum.
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