“ For of necessity such a man must often find fault with the universal nature, alleging that it assigns things to the bad and the good contrary to their deserts, because frequently the bad are in the enjoyment of pleasure and possess the things which procure pleasure, but the good have pain for their share and the things which cause pain. ”
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (c. 170 - 180). copy citation
| Author | Marcus Aurelius |
|---|---|
| Source | Meditations |
| Topic | enjoyment pain |
| Date | c. 170 - 180 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by George Long |
| Weblink | https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15877/15877-h/15877-h.htm |
Context
“for he fights against it, who is moved of himself to that which is contrary to truth, for he had received powers from nature through the neglect of which he is not able now to distinguish falsehood from truth. And indeed he who pursues pleasure as good, and avoids pain as evil, is guilty of impiety. For of necessity such a man must often find fault with the universal nature, alleging that it assigns things to the bad and the good contrary to their deserts, because frequently the bad are in the enjoyment of pleasure and possess the things which procure pleasure, but the good have pain for their share and the things which cause pain. And further, he who is afraid of pain will sometimes also be afraid of some of the things which will happen in the world, and even this is impiety. And he who pursues pleasure will not abstain from injustice, and this is plainly impiety.”
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