Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.147 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.147
Nor is it out of place in making a choice between duties involving a doubt, to consult men of learning or practical wisdom and to ascertain what their views are on any particular question of duty. For the majority usually drift as the current of their own natural inclinations carries them; and in deriving counsel from one of these, we have to see not only what our adviser says, but also what he thinks, and what his reasons are for thinking as he does. For, as painters and sculptors and even poets, too, wish to have their works reviewed by the public, in order that, if any point is generally criticized, it may be improved; and as they try to discover both by themselves and with the help of others what is wrong in their work; so through consulting the judgment of others we find that there are many things to be done and left undone, to be altered and improved.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.147, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.147
Cicero, On Duties (De Officiis), tr. Walter Miller (Loeb, 1913). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesWhen you are genuinely unsure what you ought to do, ask people of learning or practical experience, and pay attention to their reasoning as well as their verdict. Most people drift with their inclinations, and like artists who invite critique, we improve our choices by letting others test our judgement.
Older wording
- “inclinations”
- — natural leanings or tendencies
Themes and situations
- Learning and progress
- Judgements and impressions
- Duty and roles
- A hard decision
- An ethical dilemma
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