APPEARANCES to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. To form a right judgment in all these cases, belongs only to the completely instructed.
EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §27, ¶1.
AGAINST specious appearances we must have clear preconceptions brightened up and ready. When death appears as an evil, we ought immediately to remember that evils may be avoided, but death is necessity.
EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §27, ¶1.
WHAT is the cause of assent to anything? Its appearing to be true. It is not possible then, to assent to what appears to be not true. Why? Because it is the very nature of the understanding to agree to truth, to be dissatisfied with falsehood, and to suspend its belief in doubtful cases. What is the proof of this? Persuade yourself if you can, that it is now night. Impossible. Unpersuade yourself that it is day. Impossible. When anyone then assents to what is false, be assured that he doth not wilfully assent to it as false; but what is false appears to him to be true.
EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §28, ¶1.
People do not knowingly accept falsehood. In order to accept falsehood they must feel that it is a truth. Only in correct thinking can we discern what is truth and what is false, which will therefore allow us to make correct decisions.
ReplyDeleteBut there is another case beyond the four listed. That of the automatic acceptance without consideration. That is where the system fails in the general public; unconsidered acceptance. Until that is corrected... along with all of it's causes...
ReplyDeleteNice bloog thanks for posting
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