Miscellanies 4.22.143
Summary: Firm repentance purifies; knowledge and faith make the soul stand firm; the truly righteous man is just not from fear of punishment or detection, unlike Epicurus's sage, who would do wrong if sure of not being caught.
Greek text · Stählin 2:311–312
Ἱκανὴ δέ, οἶμαι, ἀνθρώπῳ κάθαρσις μετάνοια ἀκριβὴς καὶ βεβαία, εἴ γε κατεγνωκότες ἑαυτῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς προγενομέναις πράξεσι προΐεμεν εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν, μετὰ ταῦτα νοήσαντες καὶ τὸν νοῦν ἐξαναδύντες τῶν τε κατʼ αἴσθησιν τερπόντων καὶ τῶν πρόσθεν πλημμελημάτων. εἰ γοῦν τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἐτυμολογεῖν χρὴ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς στάσεως τὴν ἐπιβολὴν αὐτῆς ληπτέον, ὅτι ἵστησιν ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι τὴν ψυχήν, ἄλλοτε ἄλλως πρότερον φερομένην, ὡσαύτως καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐτυμολογητέον τὴν περὶ τὸ ὂν στάσιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν. ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν ἀεὶ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι δίκαιον ποθοῦμεν μαθεῖν, ὃς μήτε τὴν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου δεδιὼς κόλασιν μήτε τὴν τῶν συνόντων καὶ ἐπεξιόντων τοῖς πλημμεληθεῖσι μισοπονηρίαν εὐλαβούμενος μήτε τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀδικουμένων κίνδυνον ὑφορώμενος διαμένει δίκαιος· ὁ γὰρ διὰ ταῦτα τοῦ πράττειν τι τῶν ἀδίκων ἀπεχόμενος οὐχ ἑκὼν χρηστός, φόβῳ δὲ ἀγαθός. καὶ ὅ γε Ἐπίκουρος ἀδικεῖν ἐπὶ κέρδει τινὶ βούλεσθαι οὔ φησι τὸν κατʼ αὐτὸν σοφόν· πίστιν γὰρ λαβεῖν περὶ τοῦ λαθεῖν οὐ δύνασθαι. ὥστε εἰ πεισθήσεται λήσειν, ἀδικήσει κατʼ αὐτόν.
English · Claude translation
Sufficient purification for a man, I think, is exact and firm repentance, if, having condemned ourselves for our former actions, we go forward, understanding afterward and raising our mind out of both what delights the senses and our former offenses. If, then, we must derive the etymology of knowledge (epistēmē) and take its meaning from standing (stasis), because it makes our soul stand in things, which before was carried now this way, now that, so too faith must be derived as the standing of our soul concerning what is. We long to learn about the one who is righteous always and in everything, who remains righteous neither fearing the punishment of the law, nor wary of the hatred of evil in those who live with him and prosecute offenses, nor suspecting danger from those wronged. For the one who abstains from doing any injustice for these reasons is not good willingly, but good out of fear. And Epicurus says that his wise man does not wish to do wrong for some gain; for he cannot have assurance of escaping notice. So if he is persuaded that he will escape notice, according to him he will do wrong.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The etymologies play on ἐπιστήμη and στάσις. The Epicurean view is in Epicurus, Principal Doctrines 35.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.22.143 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/22/143/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.22.143 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/22/143/).
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