Latest / Discourses of Epictetus / 057 - XXVI What Is the Property of Error

Transcript

057 - XXVI What Is the Property of Error · Discourses of Epictetus

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section fifty six of Discourses of Epictetus by Epictetus, translated
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: by George Long. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Read by Christine Rucker, March second, twenty twenty two, Westford, Massachusetts,
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Book two, Chapter twenty six. What is the property of error?
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Every error comprehends contradiction. For since he who errs does
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: not wish to air, but to be right, it is
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: plain that he does not do what he wishes. For
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: what does the thief wish to do that which is
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: for his own interest? If then the theft is not
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: for his interest, he does not do that which he wishes.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: But every rational soul is by nature offended at contradiction,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: And so long as it does not understand this contradiction,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: it is not hindered from doing contradictory things. But when
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: it does understand the contradiction, it must of necessity avoid
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: the contradiction, and avoid it as much as a man
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: must dissent from the false when he sees that a
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: thing is false. But so long as this falsehood does
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: not appear to him, he assents to it as to truth.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: He then is strong in argument that has the faculty
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: of exhorting and confuting, who is able to show to
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: each man the contradiction through which he errs, and clearly
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: to prove how he does not do that which he wishes,
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: and does that which he does not wish. For if
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: anyone shall show this man, a man will himself withdraw
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: from that which he does. But so long as you
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: do not show this, do not be surprised. If a
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: man persists in his practice for having the appearance of
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: doing right, he does what he does. For this reason, Socrates, also,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: trusting to this power, used to say, I am used
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: to call no other witness of what I say, But
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: I am always satisfied with him whom I am discussing,
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: And I ask him to give his opinion, and call
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: him as a witness. And though he is only one,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: he is sufficient in the place of all. For Socrates
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: knew by what the rational soul is moved, just like
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: a pair of scales, and then it must incline, whether
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: it chooses or not. Show the rational governing faculty a contradiction,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: and it will withdraw from it. But if you do
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: not show it, rather blame yourself than him who is
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: not persuaded. End of Book two, Chapter twenty six