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Book 4
Whatuseispraise,excepttomakeyourlifestylealittlemorecomfortable?
"You’reoutofstep—neglectingthegiftsofnaturetohandonsomeone’swordsinthefuture."
20.Beautifulthingsofanykindarebeautifulinthemselvesandsufficienttothemselves.Praiseisextraneous.Theobjectofpraiseremainswhatitwas—nobetterandnoworse.Thisapplies,Ithink,evento"beautiful"thingsinordinarylife—physicalobjects,artworks.
Doesanythinggenuinelybeautifulneedsupplementing?Nomorethanjusticedoes—ortruth,orkindness,orhumility.Areanyofthoseimprovedbybeingpraised?Ordamagedbycontempt?Isanemeraldsuddenlyflawedifnooneadmiresit?Orgold,orivory,orpurple?Lyres?Knives?Flowers?Bushes?
21.Ifoursoulssurvive,howdoestheairfindroomforthem—allofthem—sincethebeginningoftime?
Howdoestheearthfindroomforallthebodiesburiedinitsincethebeginningoftime?Theylingerforwhateverlengthoftime,andthen,throughchangeanddecomposition,makeroomforothers.Sotoowiththesoulsthatinhabittheair.Theylingeralittle,andthenarechanged—diffusedandkindledintofire,absorbedintothelogosfromwhichallthingsspring,andsomakeroomfornewarrivals.
Onepossibleanswer.
Butweshouldn’tthinkonlyofthemassofburiedbodies.Therearetheonesconsumed,onadailybasis,byusandbyotheranimals.
