《沉思录·卷六·宇宙即变化》第44条
If the gods have determined about me and about the things which must happen to me, they have determined well, for it is not easy even to imagine a deity without forethought; and as to doing me harm, why should they have any desire towards that? for what advantage would result to them from this or to the whole, which is the special object of their providence? But if they have not determined about me individually, they have certainly determined about the whole at least, and the things which happen by way of sequence in this general arrangement I ought to accept with pleasure and to be content with them. But if they determine about nothing,--which it is wicked to believe, or if we do believe it, let us neither sacrifice nor pray nor swear by them, nor do anything else which we do as if the gods were present and lived with us,--but if however the gods determine about none of the things which concern us, I am able to determine about myself, and I can inquire about that which is useful; and that is useful to every man which is conformable to his own constitution and nature. But my nature is rational and social; and my city and country, so far as I am Antoninus, is Rome, but so far as I am a man, it is the world. The things then which are useful to these cities are alone useful to me.
注释摘要
这一段是奥勒留在神意与人的自主之间所做的一次极为清晰的推演。他并不先预设一种教条，而是像一个在帐幕里独自思索的人，按照几种可能的情况，逐一追问：如果这样，我应当如何；如果那样，我又应当如何。这正是斯多葛派的典型方法：不是通过盲信，而是通过理性的彻底穷尽来达到内心的安定。 他从最熟悉的信念开始。如果诸神已经决定了我的一切遭遇，这决定必然是好的。理由并非出于盲…