Skip to content
What Would Stoics Do

Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE

Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.202 — Diogenes Laërtius on Chrysippus

Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)

Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.202

Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on Chrysippus

Of Dialectic, addressed to Aristocreon, four books. Of the Objections urged against the Dialecticians, three books. Of Rhetoric, addressed to Dioscurides, four books. Third series: Of formed State, or Habit, of Mind, addressed to Cleon, three books. Of Art and the Inartistic, addressed to Aristocreon, four books. Of the Difference between the Virtues, addressed to Diodorus, four books. Of the Characters of the several Virtues, one book. Of Virtues, addressed to Pollis, two books. 3. Ethics, dealing with things good and evil. First series: Of the Good or Morally Beautiful and Pleasure, addressed to Aristocreon, ten books. Proofs that Pleasure is not the End-in-chief of Action, four books. Proofs that Pleasure is not a Good, four books. Of the Arguments commonly used on Behalf of [Pleasure].
— Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.202 · tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)Read in context →

Cite this passage

Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.202 (on Chrysippus), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)

https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.202

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

Read Chrysippus in context →

In plain English

AI-written notes

More titles on dialectic, rhetoric, the habit of mind and the differences among the virtues, then the start of the ethics of good and evil, with books arguing that pleasure is neither the highest goal nor a good.

Older wording

“End-in-chief”
— the main goal of life
“Morally Beautiful”
— the morally fine and honourable
“Inartistic”
— not governed by craft or skill

Themes and situations

  • Virtue and character
  • Pleasure and pain

Quote cards

The opening line of this passage as an image, with its citation — for sharing or keeping.