《沉思录·卷五·天未亮就起身》第14条
Reason and the reasoning art [philosophy] are powers which are sufficient for themselves and for their own works. They move then from a first principle which is their own, and they make their way to the end which is proposed to them; and this is the reason why such acts are named Catorthoseis or right acts, which word signifies that they proceed by the right road.
注释摘要
这一条是在给斯多葛派的一个根本信念下一个极其浓缩的定义。奥勒留在说，理性，以及运用理性的技艺也就是哲学，它们的力量不需要从外面借来什么东西才能运作，它们自己是自己的资源。他用了两句话说这个意思。头一句，理性和哲学是自足的，足以完成它们自身的工作。这不是说理性什么都能办成，而是说理性行为的好与坏、成与不成，不看外界结果，只在于它本身是否按照理性的路在走。第二…