Theages' Treatise On The Virtues

The parts of the soul are:

• the reasoning power which has dominion over knowledge
• anger which has dominion over impetus
• desire which intrepidly rules over the soul’s appetites

Virtue and Vice

When these 3 parts pass into one, and exhibit one appropriate composition, then virtue and concord are produced in the soul.

• But when they are divulsed from each other by sedition, then vice and discord are produced in the soul.

Virtue should have these 3 things:

1. reason
2. power
3. deliberate choice

Therefore, the virtue of the soul’s reasoning power is prudence because it is a habit of judging and contemplating.

But the virtue of the irascible part is fortitude because it is a habit of resisting, and enduring things of a dreadful nature.

The virtue of the epithymetic or appetitive part is temperance because it is a moderation and detention of the pleasures which arise through the body.

But the virtue of the whole soul is justice*. Men become bad either through:

• vice,
• incontinence, or
• a natural ferocity.

But they injure each other, either through:

• gain,
• pleasure, or
• ambition.

Vice, therefore, more appropriately belongs to the reasoning part of the soul. Prudence is similar to art and vice is similar to pernicious art.

Vice invents contrivances for acting unjustly.

Incontinence, on the other hand, pertains to the appetitive part of the soul.

• Continence is subduing pleasures
• Incontinence is in not subduing them.

Ferocity pertains to the irascible part of the soul.

• It is when a person is gratified as a wild beast, through acting ill from desire

The effects also of these dispositions are consequent for their purpose.

Avarice is consequent to vice. But vice is consequent to the reasoning part of the soul.

Ambition follows from the irascible part. This becomes excessive and generates ferocity.

Pleasure pertains to the appetitive part. But this being sought after more vehemently, generates incontinence.

Hence, since the acting unjustly is produced from so many causes, acting justly is effected through an equal number of causes.

Virtue is naturally beneficent and profitable. But vice is productive of evil, and is noxious.

One part of the soul is the leader, another is the follower.

The virtues and the vices subsist about these, and in these. Some virtues are leaders, others are followers, and others, are composed from these.

The leaders are prudence. The followers are fortitude and temperance. The composites are justice.

The Passions

The passions, however, are the matter of virtue because the virtues subsist about, and in these.

But of the passions, one is voluntary, but another is involuntary.

The voluntary is pleasure; but the involuntary is pain.

Men also, who have the political virtues, give intension and remission to these, co-harmonizing the other parts of the soul, to that part which possesses reason.

But the boundary of this co-adaptation, is for intellect not to be prevented from accomplishing its proper work, either by indigence, or excess. For that which is less excellent, is co-arranged for the sake of that which is more excellent.

Thus in the world, every part that is always passive, subsists for the sake of that which is always moved. And in the conjunction of animals, the female subsists for the sake of the male.

For the latter sows, generating a soul. But the former alone imparts matter to that which is generated.

In the soul however, the irrational subsists for the sake of the rational part.

For anger and desire are co-arranged in subserviency to the first part of the soul; the former as a certain satellite, and guardian of the body; but the latter as a dispensator and provident curator of necessary wants.

But intellect being established in the highest summit of the body, and having a prospect in that which is on all sides splendid and transparent,[65] investigates the wisdom of [real] beings.

This is the work of it according to nature, viz. having investigated, and obtained the possession [of truth] to follow those beings who are more excellent and more honorable than itself. For the knowledge of things divine and most honorable, is the principle, cause, and rule of human blessedness.