Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.106 — Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.106
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Thus things of the preferred class are those which have positive value, e.g. amongst mental qualities, natural ability, skill, moral improvement, and the like; among bodily qualities, life, health, strength, good condition, soundness of organs, beauty, and so forth; and in the sphere of external things, wealth, fame, noble birth, and the like. To the class of things “rejected” belong, of mental qualities, lack of ability, want of skill, and the like; among bodily qualities, death, disease, weakness, being out of condition, mutilation, ugliness, and the like; in the sphere of external things, poverty, ignominy, low birth, and so forth. But again there are things belonging to neither class; such are not preferred, neither are they rejected.
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.106 (on the Stoics), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.106
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 notesA catalogue of what the Stoics treat as naturally preferable: talent, skill, health, strength, beauty, money, reputation and good birth. The rejected side includes lack of skill, disease, weakness, poverty and disgrace. Some things are neither preferred nor rejected.
Older wording
- “ignominy”
- — public disgrace
- “mutilation”
- — serious bodily injury or loss of a limb
Themes and situations
- Virtue and character
- Wealth and poverty
- Illness and the body
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