《沉思录·卷二·写于格拉努阿河畔》第10条
Theophrastus, in his comparison of bad acts--such a comparison as one would make in accordance with the common notions of mankind--says, like a true philosopher, that the offenses which are committed through desire are more blamable than those which are committed through anger. For he who is excited by anger seems to turn away from reason with a certain pain and unconscious contraction; but he who offends through desire, being overpowered by pleasure, seems to be in a manner more intemperate and more womanish in his offences. Rightly, then, and in a way worthy of philosophy, he said that the offence which is committed with pleasure is more blamable than that which is committed with pain; and on the whole the one is more like a person who has been first wronged and through pain is compelled to be angry, but the other is moved by his own impulse to do wrong, being carried towards doing something by desire.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里引入了一位前辈哲学家的观点来支撑自己的伦理判断。他提到的泰奥弗拉斯托斯是亚里士多德的继任者，主持吕克昂学园的漫步学派哲学家。引用的这段话基于“人类的共同概念”进行比较，意思是依据人们自然而然的道德直觉来评判行为的恶劣程度。结论很明确：因欲望而犯的过错，比因愤怒而犯的过错更应受谴责。 推理的结构细致而有力。愤怒激发的人，其背离理性的过程伴随着痛苦…