Meditations — Page 12
It is probable that no Stoic claimed for himself that he was this Wise Man, but that each strove after it as an ideal much as the Christian strives after a likeness to Christ.
Es ist wahrscheinlich, dass kein Stoiker für sich selbst beanspruchte, dieser Weise zu sein, sondern dass jeder danach strebte als einem Ideal, ähnlich wie der Christ nach einer Ähnlichkeit mit Christus strebt.
The exaggeration in this statement was, however, so obvious, that the later Stoics were driven to make a further subdivision of things indifferent into what is preferable (προηγμένα) and what is undesirable (ἀποπροηγμένα).
Die Übertreibung in dieser Aussage war jedoch so offensichtlich, dass die späteren Stoiker dazu getrieben wurden, eine weitere Unterteilung der gleichgültigen Dinge vorzunehmen in das, was vorzuziehen ist (προηγμένα), und das, was unerwünscht ist (ἀποπροηγμένα).
They also held that for him who had not attained to the perfect wisdom, certain actions were proper.
Sie vertraten auch die Ansicht, dass für denjenigen, der die vollkommene Weisheit noch nicht erreicht hatte, bestimmte Handlungen angemessen seien.
(καθήκοντα) These were neither virtuous nor vicious, but, like the indifferent things, held a middle place.
(καθήκοντα) Diese waren weder tugendhaft noch lasterhaft, sondern nahmen, wie die gleichgültigen Dinge, eine mittlere Stellung ein.
Two points in the Stoic system deserve special mention.
Zwei Punkte im stoischen System verdienen besondere Erwähnung.
One is a careful distinction between things which are in our power and things which are not.
Der eine ist eine sorgfältige Unterscheidung zwischen Dingen, die in unserer Macht stehen, und solchen, die es nicht sind.
Desire and dislike, opinion and affection, are within the power of the will; whereas health, wealth, honour, and other such are generally not so.
Begehren und Abneigung, Meinung und Zuneigung liegen innerhalb der Macht des Willens; wohingegen Gesundheit, Reichtum, Ehre und dergleichen im Allgemeinen nicht so sind.
The Stoic was called upon to control his desires and affections, and to guide his opinion; to bring his whole being under the sway of the will or leading principle, just as the universe is guided and governed by divine Providence.
Der Stoiker war dazu aufgerufen, seine Begierden und Zuneigungen zu beherrschen und seine Meinung zu lenken; sein ganzes Wesen der Herrschaft des Willens oder des leitenden Prinzips zu unterwerfen, genauso wie das Universum von der göttlichen Vorsehung geleitet und regiert wird.
This is a special application of the favourite Greek virtue of moderation, (σωφροσύνη) and has also its parallel in Christian ethics.
Dies ist eine besondere Anwendung der bevorzugten griechischen Tugend der Mäßigung (σωφροσύνη) und hat auch seine Entsprechung in der christlichen Ethik.
The second point is a strong insistence on the unity of the universe, and on man's duty as part of a great whole.
Der zweite Punkt ist ein starkes Beharren auf der Einheit des Universums und auf der Pflicht des Menschen als Teil eines großen Ganzen.
Vocabulary
- wahrscheinlich
- Probably; likely to be true or expected
- Stoiker
- A follower of Stoic philosophy
- selbst
- Emphatic pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'even'
- beanspruchte
- Claimed or asserted something for oneself
- Weise
- A wise person; a sage or philosopher
- sondern
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'but rather'
- danach
- After that; striving toward something as a goal
- strebte
- Strove or aspired toward a particular goal
- Ideal
- An ideal; a perfect standard to aspire toward
- ähnlich
- Similar or resembling something else closely
- Christ
- A Christian; follower of Jesus Christ
- Ähnlichkeit
- Similarity or resemblance between two things
- Christus
- Christ; the central figure of Christianity
- strebt
- Strives or aspires toward a particular goal
- Übertreibung
- Exaggeration; overstating something beyond reality
- Aussage
- A statement or assertion made verbally or written
- jedoch
- However; a conjunction indicating contrast
- offensichtlich
- Obviously or evidently clear to everyone
- späteren
- Later ones; those who came afterward in time
- dazu
- To that; for that purpose or addition
- getrieben
- Driven or compelled to do something
- weitere
- Further or additional beyond what already exists
- Unterteilung
- Subdivision or further classification into parts
- gleichgültigen
- Indifferent; neither good nor bad morally
- vorzunehmen
- To undertake or carry out a particular action
- vorzuziehen
- To prefer; to choose one thing over another
- unerwünscht
- Unwanted or undesirable; not wished for
- vertraten
- Represented or advocated a particular position
- Ansicht
- Opinion or view held about something
- denjenigen
- Those who; referring to specific people mentioned
- vollkommene
- Perfect or complete; without any flaw
- Weisheit
- Wisdom; deep knowledge and good judgment
- erreicht
- Reached or achieved a goal or destination
- bestimmte
- Certain or specific; defined and identified clearly
- Handlungen
- Actions or deeds performed by a person
- angemessen
- Appropriate or suitable for the situation
- weder
- Neither; used in 'neither...nor' constructions
- tugendhaft
- Virtuous; possessing or showing moral virtue
- lasterhaft
- Vicious or immoral; characterized by vice
- mittlere
- Middle or intermediate; positioned between two extremes
- Stellung
- Position or stance held by someone
- stoischen
- Stoic; relating to the philosophy of Stoicism
- verdienen
- To deserve or merit particular attention
- besondere
- Special or particular; standing out from others
- Erwähnung
- Mention; the act of bringing something up
- sorgfältige
- Careful or thorough; done with great attention
- Unterscheidung
- Distinction or differentiation between two things
- Macht
- Power or control over something
- solchen
- Such; referring to things of a certain kind
- Begehren
- Desire or craving for something strongly wanted
- Abneigung
- Aversion or dislike toward something
- Meinung
- Opinion or view held by someone
- Zuneigung
- Affection or fondness toward a person or thing
- liegen
- To lie or be located; to belong to something
- innerhalb
- Within; inside the boundaries of something
- Willens
- Of the will; genitive of 'Wille', volition
- wohingegen
- Whereas; introducing a contrasting clause
- Gesundheit
- Health; the state of being physically well
- Reichtum
- Wealth or riches; abundance of material possessions
- Ehre
- Honor or reputation; high regard from others
- dergleichen
- The like or similar things; et cetera
- Allgemeinen
- In general; referring to things broadly considered
- aufgerufen
- Called upon or summoned to do something
- Begierden
- Desires or lusts; strong cravings or urges
- Zuneigungen
- Affections; plural of fondness or attachment
- beherrschen
- To master or control something with authority
- lenken
- To steer or direct toward a particular aim
- ganzes
- Whole or entire; complete without parts missing
- Wesen
- Being or essence; fundamental nature of something
- Herrschaft
- Rule or dominion; authority over others or oneself
- leitenden
- Leading or guiding; directing principles or reason
- Prinzips
- Of the principle; genitive of guiding rule
- unterwerfen
- To submit or subject oneself to authority
- genauso
- Just as or equally; in the same manner
- Universum
- The universe; the totality of all existence
- göttlichen
- Divine; relating to or coming from God
- Vorsehung
- Providence; divine guidance over the world
- geleitet
- Guided or led by a directing force
- regiert
- Governed or ruled by an authority
- Anwendung
- Application or practical use of a concept
- bevorzugten
- Preferred or favored above other options
- griechischen
- Greek; relating to ancient or modern Greece
- Tugend
- Virtue; moral excellence and righteousness
- Mäßigung
- Moderation or temperance; self-restraint in behavior
- Entsprechung
- Correspondence or equivalent in another context
- christlichen
- Christian; relating to the faith of Christianity
- Ethik
- Ethics; the study of moral principles
- Punkt
- Point or item in a discussion or argument
- starkes
- Strong or powerful; of great intensity or force
- Beharren
- Insistence or persisting firmly on something
- Einheit
- Unity or oneness; the state of being unified
- Universums
- Of the universe; genitive form of 'Universum'
- Pflicht
- Duty or obligation one is required to fulfill
- Teil
- Part or portion of a larger whole
- Ganzen
- Of the whole; genitive of 'das Ganze'
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