《沉思录·卷九·不义与虚妄》第40条
Either the gods have no power or they have power. If, then, they have no power, why dost thou pray to them? But if they have power, why dost thou not pray for them to give thee the faculty of not fearing any of the things which thou fearest, or of not desiring any of the things which thou desirest, or not being pained at anything, rather than pray that any of these things should not happen or happen? for certainly if they can co-operate with men, they can co-operate for these purposes. But perhaps thou wilt say the gods have placed them in thy power. Well, then, is it not better to use what is in thy power like a free man than to desire in a slavish and abject way what is not in thy power? And who has told thee that the gods do not aid us, even in the things which are in our power? Begin, then, to pray for such things, and thou wilt see. One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another prays thus: How shall I be released from this? Pray thou: How shall I not desire to be released? Another thus: How shall I not lose my little son? Thou thus: How shall I not be afraid to lose him? In fine, turn thy prayers this way, and see what comes.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这里展开了一个极其冷酷却也极其彻底的推理。他并不讨论诸神存不存在，而是直接抓住一个实践问题：你既然祷告，你就默认了神有力量，那你就落入了一个两难。如果诸神根本没有力量，你向他们祷告就没有意义，所求的事也不会因此改变。如果他们有力量，那你为什么求的都是外在的东西——让这件事不要发生，让那件事发生——而不是求他们给你内在的能力？他列举了三种内在的掌控力…