XLV. - The duties of maintaining society not always preferable to those of temperance, modesty, etc.- What duties of justice ought to take place of others.

It ought perhaps to be inquired here, whether the duties of this society, which is thus agreeable to the principles of nature, ought always to be preferred before the duties of temperance, decency, and moderation. Indeed I think not; for some things are so very highly scandalous and abominably wicked, that a wise man would hardly be guilty of them, supposing he could bring safety to his country by it. Posidonius has heaped up a great many instances of things of this nature. These then must never be done for one’s country; nor will one’s country ever desire that they should: for the best of it is, it is impossible such a conjuncture should happen, as can make it be the interest of any republic to have wise men be guilty of such abominable actions. We may lay down this then for a certain conclusion, that when several duties come into competition, those should take place before any others which relate to the maintenance of human society: for wise and considerate acting is the end of all knowledge and prudent thinking; and by consequence, the former is more valuable than the latter. And so much may suffice on this subject; for I think I have sufficiently cleared the way, so that hereafter there will be no difficulty to know which duties are to be preferred. Those very duties which relate to society are of different rates and degrees among themselves; but it is no hard matter to see in what order they ought to be performed: as, in the first place, those to the immortal gods; secondly, to our native country; thirdly, to our parents; and so on to all others in their respective places. What has been said in a few words on this last head, I hope is sufficient to make it appear that it is usual for men not only to doubt whether such and such an action be honest or dishonest; but also, of two, that are both of them honest, which is the most so. This is one of those two heads which I at first observed were omitted by Panaetius. Let us now pass on to the remaining part of our proposed division.