The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-02-08
Omr Contributors.
The "Honestum" of Cicero.
BY DR.. T. A. HOYT.

Ethical System of the Bible, makes the
somewhat startling assertion that, "There
Is ten-fold nearer approximation to the
teachings of the Bible in Aristotle than
there is in Paley more affinity with the
gospel in Cicero than in the whole tribe
of utiitarians."
He then proceeds to illustrate this re-
markable declaration by sketching the
doctrine of Aristotle in regard to Happi-
ness. He affirms that the nearest approx
lmation which has been made by unas-
sisted reason, to the noble and exalted
conceptions of the scriptures as to the
chief good of man. is to be found in the
philosophy of Aristotle DR.. Thornwell
admits that the great Stagirite failed to
compass the whole truth, because man by
wisdom cannot find out God, but con-
tends for his superiority as moral teach
er to those who like Paley and the other
utilitarians, with the Bible in their hands,
have given utterance to the miserable
sentiments which prevail, to the corrup-
ton of society, and the degradation of
the age in which we live"
AS Cicero is included in the enconium,
1t may be interesting to notice his dis
cussion of virtue. And that this paper
may not have too wide range, let us con-
fine ourselves to his treatment of the
Honestum," as contained in the earlier
portion of the De offi3iis.
Under this term, Cicero conveys all
that we mean by-honor, honesty, virtue,
morality, decency, propriety, order, grace
fitness, nobleness-and all these allied to
wisdom, both speculative and practical.
To this lofty conception, Cicero applies
the saying of Plato concerning wisdom !:
"Our eyesight," says Plato in the Phae-
drus' Is the most exquisite of our senses,
yet it does not serve us to discern wis
dom: if it did, what a glow of love would
she kindle within us
Cicero has been Justly Landed for trans
ferring to virtue what Plato says of wis
dom; yet, although kalon is the equiva-
lent of honestum, the loltrone of Plato and
the Honestum of Cicero are nearly, if not
quite identical; each includes both knowl-
edge and virtue
Cicero distributes the Honestum under
four divisions:
l., In the perception of truth, and in
sagacity.
q In the preservation of human So
ciety, by rendering to every one his due,
and by fidelity to contracts.
g. In the greatness and strength of an
elevated and invincible mind.
4. In observing order and method in
all we do or say-in which consists mod
Grafton and temperance.
He next shows that although these
four divisions are bound together and
implicated in one another, yet from each
arise certain kinds of duties. From the
first, under which he embraces wisdom
and discretion, spring the investigation
and discovery Of truth and this he de-
clares to be the appropriate function Of
that virtue for, he argues, whoever in
the highest degree perceives the real
truth in any subject, and is able, most
acutely and quickly to see and explain
the reason Of it, he is rightly regarded
the wisest and most sagacious man
wherefore truth is the subject, and as it
were, the matter, which this faculty treats
of, and in which it is employed.
In regard to the other three virtues,
he says, they are necessarily directed to
acquiring and preserving those things in
which the conduct of life is contained
that the society and relations Of mankind
may be preserved and that elevation and
greatness Of soul may exhibit itself in
the acquisition Of wealth and advantages
for ourselves and our friends, but more
conspicuously in despising them. These
last words touch noble strain-they
affirm that virtue shines more brightly in
the contempt than in the acquisition Of
riches and honors.
Returning to the first Of the four d.
visions under which he had distributed
the nature and power Of virtue, he tells
us that the first, which consists in the
knowledge Of truth, principally affects