Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.115 — Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.115
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
And as there are said to be certain infirmities in the body, as for instance gout and arthritic disorders, so too there is in the soul love of fame, love of pleasure, and the like. By infirmity is meant disease accompanied by weakness; and by disease is meant a fond imagining of something that seems desirable. And as in the body there are tendencies to certain maladies such as colds and diarrhoea, so it is with the soul, there are tendencies like enviousness, pitifulness, quarrelsomeness, and the like.
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.115 (on the Stoics), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.115
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII, tr. R. D. Hicks (Loeb, 1925). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesJust as the body suffers chronic ailments like gout, the soul has weaknesses such as love of fame and love of pleasure, which come from a mistaken belief that something is desirable. The soul also has tendencies, like envy, softness and quarrelsomeness, comparable to a body prone to colds.
Older wording
- “infirmity”
- — a chronic weakness or ailment
- “tendencies”
- — habitual leanings toward a fault
Themes and situations
- Emotions and the passions
- Reputation and others' opinions
- Desire and craving
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