APPEARANCES FALSE AND TRUE.
1. Appearances exist for us in four ways. Either things appear even as
they are; or having no existence, neither do they appear to have it; or
they exist, and appear not; or they exist not, and yet appear. So, in
all these cases, to hit the mark is the work of him who hath been taught
in philosophy.
2. But whatever it be that afflicts us, it is to that thing that the
remedy is to be applied. If it is the sophisms of the Pyrrhonists and
Academics[1] that afflict us, to them let us apply the remedy. If it is
the delusiveness of things, whereby that appeareth to be good which is
not so, to that let us seek for the remedy. If a habit afflicts us,
against that must we endeavor to find some remedy. And what remedy is to
be found against a habit? The contrary habit. Thou hearest the ignorant
when they say, _The wretched man is dead; his father is perishing with
grief for him, or his mother; he was cut off, yea, and untimely, and in
a strange land_. Hearken, then, to the contrary words. Tear thyself away
from such utterances. Against habit set the contrary habit. Against the
words of the Sophists have the maxims of philosophers and the exercise
and constant usage of them; against the delusiveness of things have
clear natural conceptions ever burnished and ready.
3. Whenever death may appear to be an evil, have ready the thought that
it is right to avoid evils, and that death is unavoidable. For what
shall I do? whither shall I flee from it? Let it be granted that I am no
Sarpedon, son of Zeus, to speak in that lofty style: _I go either to do
great deeds myself, or to give another the chance of doing them; though
I myself fail I shall not grudge it to another to do nobly_.[2] Let it
be granted that this is above us; still can we not at least rise to the
height of that? And whither shall I flee from death? declare to me the
place; declare to me the men among whom I shall go, to whom death comes
never near; declare to me the charms against it. If I have none, what
would ye have me do? I cannot escape death--shall I not then escape the
fear of death? shall I die lamenting and trembling? In this is the
source of suffering, to wish for something, and that it should not come
to pass; and thence it is that when I am able to alter outward things at
my desire, I do so, but when not, I am ready to tear out the eyes of him
that hindereth me. For man is so made by nature that he will not bear to
be deprived of the Good nor to fall into the Evil. And in the end, when
I am neither able to alter outward things nor to tear out the eyes of
him that hindereth me, I sit down and groan and rail on whomsoever I
can, Zeus and the other Gods;--for if they neglect me, what have I to do
with them? _Yea, but thou wilt be an impious man._ And how shall I be
worse off than I am now? Here is the whole matter: Remember that unless
religion and profit meet in the same thing, religion cannot be saved in
any man. Do not these things mightily convince of their truth?
4. Let the Pyrrhonist and the Academic come and make their attack--I,
for my part, have no leisure for such discussions, nor am I able to
argue in defense of general consent.[3] For if I had a suit about a
little piece of land, would I not call in another to argue for me?
Wherewith shall I be satisfied? With that which concerns the matter in
hand. How perception takes place, whether by the whole man or by parts,
perhaps I know not how to declare: both opinions perplex me. But that
thou and I are not the same I know very clearly. _Whence know you this?_
Never, when I wish to eat, do I carry the morsel to another man's mouth,
but to my own. Never, when I wish to take a piece of bread, do I lay
hold of a broom, but I always go to the bread, as to a mark. And ye who
deny the truth of perception, what do ye other than I? Which of you,
desiring to go to the bath, ever went into a mill? _What then? Ought we
not, according to our abilities, to busy ourselves with the upholding
of general consent, and raising defenses against all that opposeth the
same?_ And who denies it? But let him do it that can, that hath leisure;
but he that trembleth, and is troubled, and his heart is broken within
him, let him spend his time on something different.