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Moral Letters Vol III

Seneca

§ Section 20

On the true good as attained by reason

124:20

Book Subtitle: Seneca's timeless letters of advice and wisdom.

Book Description: The final volume of Seneca's moral letters. Common Stoic themes emerge again and again: the unreliability of fortune, the ability to form Stoic resolve, and the importance of virtue.

20.

But, not to weary you, a certain sort of good will be found in a dumb animal, and a certain sort of virtue, and a certain sort of perfection—but neither the Good, nor virtue, nor perfection in the absolute sense.

For this is the privilege of reasoning beings alone, who are permitted to know the cause, the degree, and the means.

Therefore, good can exist only in that which possesses reason.