《沉思录·卷八·行事与本分》第56条
To my own free will the free will of my neighbor is just as indifferent as his poor breath and flesh. For though we are made especially for the sake of one another, still the ruling power of each of us has its own office, for otherwise my neighbor's wickedness would be my harm, which God has not willed, in order that my unhappiness may not depend on another.
注释摘要
这一条处理的是斯多葛伦理学的根基难题：如果世上真有恶人恶行，为什么我的幸福不该因此受损。奥勒留用了一个极干脆的比较开启段落：邻人的自由意志与我的自由意志之间的关系，跟邻人的呼吸与血肉之于我同样无关。呼吸与血肉是身体层面的东西，一呼一吸、一具躯体，在物理上属于另一个人，根本上不能变成我的。而自由意志——也就是每个人内在的抉择与判断能力——同样各自归属，不可移…