Cicero (on the Stoics) · 106–43 BCE
On Duties 1.45 — Cicero (on the Stoics)
Translation by Walter Miller (1913)
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.45
The third rule laid down was that in acts of kindness we should weigh with discrimination the worthiness of the object of our benevolence; we should take into consideration his moral character, his attitude toward us, the intimacy of his relations to us, and our common social ties, as well as the services he has hitherto rendered in our interest. It is to be desired that all these considerations should be combined in the same person; if they are not, then the more numerous and the more important considerations must have the greater weight.
Cite this passage
Cicero (on the Stoics), On Duties 1.45, tr. Walter Miller (1913)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/on-duties/1.45
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 deciding whom to help, weigh the person's character, how they feel about you, how close you are, the common ties you share, and what they have done for you. Ideally all of these line up, and if not, the more numerous and weightier considerations should win out.
Older wording
- “benevolence”
- — goodwill and kindness
Themes and situations
- Kindness and forgiveness
- Friendship
- Justice and fairness
- Duty and roles
- A hard decision
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