Things which make us neither better nor worse.

"Since it is possible that you may depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly.

"But to go away from among men, if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods will not involve you in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no concern about human affairs, what is it to me to live in a universe devoid of gods or devoid of Providence?

"But in truth they do exist, and they do care for human things, and they have put all the means in man's power to enable him not to fall into real evils.

"And as to the rest, if there was anything evil, they would have provided for this also, that it should be altogether in a man's power not to fall into it.

"Now that which does not make a man worse, how can it make a man's life worse? But neither through ignorance, nor having the knowledge, but not the power to guard against or correct these things, is it possible that the nature of the universe has overlooked them; nor is it possible that it has made so great a mistake, either through want of power or want of skill, that good and evil should happen indiscriminately to the good and the bad.

"But death certainly, and life, honor and dishonor, pain and pleasure, all these things equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil."

--Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2 (tr Long)

In something of a precursor to Pascal's Wager, Marcus Aurelius tells us that whether the Divine exists or does not exist, whether it cares for us or is indifferent, this should hardly alter our commitment to living rightly.

But if we only choose to see Nature as it is, we will see that there is the Divine, however I may understand it, because all things do indeed submit to order and purpose. Instead of presuming, as many of us do, that our suffering means the gods do not exist or do not care for our welfare, could we not approach this problem differently?

Instead of asking that Nature should conform to me, should I perhaps ask how I can conform to Nature, and how Providence has already provided me with the means for each and every good? Why must I stubbornly insist that what may seem an unjust evil at first is not actually any evil at all?

First, if Providence has made all things for the good, and Providence has made me, so Providence has also given us the power to benefit myself in the face of any obstacle. Nothing in the order of Nature is random or in vain, and nothing is outside the power of Providence.

Second, it is only bad things that harm us, but the things we usually consider bad, like death, pain, or dishonor, are hardly good or bad in themselves. We must all face them, and the only difference is what we choose to make of these conditions.

What we usually consider a sign that Providence doesn't exist, or doesn't care, or is too weak to act, is actually an indication that these things aren't good or bad at all, but simply indifferent. The good or bad comes from how the good or the bad man transforms them, by his judgment and choice, into benefit or harm.

Written on 8/14/2003

Image: Eye of Providence, Aachen Cathedral