DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.50017#0092
12 THE GARDENS OF EPICURUS
off, but all at great distance from the mark ; it may
be, none in sight.
Yet in the midst of these and many other such dis-
putes and contentions in their natural philosophy, they
seem to agree much better in their moral; and upon
their inquiries after the ultimate end of man, which
was his happiness, their contentions or differences
seemed to be rather in words, than in the sense of
their opinions, or in the true meaning of their several
authors or masters of their sects: all concluded that
happiness was the chief good, and ought to be the
ultimate end of man; that as this was the end of
wisdom, so wisdom was the way to happiness. The
question then was, in what this happiness consisted ?
The contention grew warmest between the Stoics and
Epicureans; the other sects in this point siding in a
manner with one or the other of these in their con-
ceptions or expressions. The Stoics would have it
to consist in virtue, and the Epicureans in pleasure ;
yet the most reasonable of the Stoics made the
pleasure of virtue to be the greatest happiness; and
the best of the Epicureans made the greatest pleasure
to consist in virtue ; and the difference between these
two seems not easily discovered. All agreed, the
greatest temper, if not the total subduing of passion,
off, but all at great distance from the mark ; it may
be, none in sight.
Yet in the midst of these and many other such dis-
putes and contentions in their natural philosophy, they
seem to agree much better in their moral; and upon
their inquiries after the ultimate end of man, which
was his happiness, their contentions or differences
seemed to be rather in words, than in the sense of
their opinions, or in the true meaning of their several
authors or masters of their sects: all concluded that
happiness was the chief good, and ought to be the
ultimate end of man; that as this was the end of
wisdom, so wisdom was the way to happiness. The
question then was, in what this happiness consisted ?
The contention grew warmest between the Stoics and
Epicureans; the other sects in this point siding in a
manner with one or the other of these in their con-
ceptions or expressions. The Stoics would have it
to consist in virtue, and the Epicureans in pleasure ;
yet the most reasonable of the Stoics made the
pleasure of virtue to be the greatest happiness; and
the best of the Epicureans made the greatest pleasure
to consist in virtue ; and the difference between these
two seems not easily discovered. All agreed, the
greatest temper, if not the total subduing of passion,