Роздуми
Book 4
Lookatthingslikeaman,likeahumanbeing,likeacitizen,likeamortal.Andamongthethingsyouturnto,thesetwo:
I.Thatthingshavenoholdonthesoul.Theystandthereunmoving,outsideit.Disturbancecomesonlyfromwithin—fromourownperceptions.
II.Thateverythingyouseewillsoonalterandceasetoexist.Thinkofhowmanychangesyou’vealreadyseen.
"Theworldisnothingbutchange.Ourlifeisonlyperception."
4.Ifthoughtissomethingweshare,thensoisreason—whatmakesusreasoningbeings.
Ifso,thenthereasonthattellsuswhattodoandwhatnottodoisalsoshared.
Andifso,weshareacommonlaw.
Andthus,arefellowcitizens.
Andfellowcitizensofsomething.
Andinthatcase,ourstatemustbetheworld.Whatotherentitycouldallofhumanitybelongto?Andfromit—fromthisstatethatweshare—comethoughtandreasonandlaw.
Whereelsecouldtheycomefrom?Theearththatcomposesmederivesfromearth,thewaterfromsomeotherelement,theairfromitsownsource,theheatandfirefromtheirs—sincenothingcomesfromnothing,orreturnstoit.
Sothoughtmustderivefromsomewhereelseaswell.
5.Death:somethinglikebirth,anaturalmystery,elementsthatsplitandrecombine.
Notanembarrassingthing.Notanoffensetoreason,orournature.
