《沉思录·卷十·顺应整体》第26条
A man deposits seed in a womb and goes away, and then another cause takes it and labors on it, and makes a child. What a thing from such a material! Again, the child passes food down through the throat, and then another cause takes it and makes perception and motion, and in fine, life and strength and other things; how many and how strange! Observe then the things which are produced in such a hidden way, and see the power, just as we see the power which carries things downwards and upwards, not with the eyes, but still no less plainly (vii. 85).
注释摘要
这一段呈现了斯多葛派因果观里非常核心的一层意思：任何可见的结果都不是由某个单独行动者“一手造成”的，而是由一连串隐蔽的原因接续完成的。奥勒留用了两个意象：男人留下种子便离开了，随后“另一个原因”接手，制作出一个孩子；孩子吞下食物，又是“另一个原因”接过去，制造出知觉、运动、生命与力量。他反复惊叹“从这样的材料中竟然产生出这样的东西”“多么奇妙”，目的并不是…