11.
Every living thing exists as it began, until death; a man, until he dies, is a man, a horse is a horse, a dog a dog.
They cannot change into anything else.
Now let us grant that Justice—which is defined as “a soul in a certain attitude,” is a living thing.
Let us suppose this to be so.
Then Bravery also is alive, being “a soul in a certain attitude.” But which soul?
That which was but now defined as Justice?
The soul is kept within the first-named being, and cannot cross over into another; it must last out its existence in the medium where it had its origin.
Book: Moral Letters Vol III
Subtitle: Seneca's timeless letters of advice and wisdom.
Author: Seneca
Chapter: On the vitality of the soul and its attributes
Location: Chapter 113, Section 11
Content:
11.
Every living thing exists as it began, until death; a man, until he dies, is a man, a horse is a horse, a dog a dog.
They cannot change into anything else.
Now let us grant that Justice—which is defined as “a soul in a certain attitude,” is a living thing.
Let us suppose this to be so.
Then Bravery also is alive, being “a soul in a certain attitude.” But which soul?
That which was but now defined as Justice?
The soul is kept within the first-named being, and cannot cross over into another; it must last out its existence in the medium where it had its origin.