said
I, O Cato; but do you not see that all those pompous expressions are
shared by you in common with Pyrrho and Aristo, who think all things
equal? And I should like to know what your opinion of them is. Mine? said
he; do you want to know what I think of them? I think that those men whom
we have either heard of from our ancestors, or seen ourselves, to be good,
brave, just, and moderate in the republic,--those who, following nature
herself, without any particular learning or system, have done many
praiseworthy actions, have been educated by nature herself better than
they could have been educated by philosophy, if they had adopted any other
philosophy except that which ranks nothing whatever among the goods except
what is honourable, and nothing among the evils except what is
disgraceful. As for all other systems of philosophy, they differ entirely
in their estimate of good and evil; but still I consider no one of them
which classes anything destitute of virtue among either the goods or the
evils, as being of any use to men, or as uttering any sentiment by which
we may become better; but I think that they all tend rather to deprave
nature herself. For if this point be not conceded, that that alone is good
which is honourable, it follows that it must be impossible to prove that
life is made happy by virtue. And if that be the case, then I do not see
why any attention should be bestowed on philosophy; for if a wise man can
be miserable, then of a truth I do not consider that virtue, which is
accounted so glorious and memorable a thing, of any great value.

IV. All that you have been saying, Cato, I replied, you might say if you
agreed with Pyrrho or Aristo; for you are not ignorant that they consider
that honourableness not only the chief good, but also (as you yourself
maintain) the only good. And if this is the case, the consequence which I
see you aim at follows necessarily, that all wise men are always happy. Do
you then praise these men, and do you think that we ought to follow their
opinion? By no means, said he; for as this is a peculiar attribute of
virtue to make its selection of those things which are in accordance with
nature, those who have made all things equal in such a manner as to
consider all things on either side perfectly indifferent, so as to leave
no room for any selection, have utterly put an end to virtue. You say
right, said I; but I ask you whether you, too, must not do the same thing,
when you