Pagina 571 de 734

Therefore the fact of living is choice-worthy, and to the good

specially so since existence is good and pleasant to them: for

they receive pleasure from the internal consciousness of that

which in itself is good.

But the good man is to his friend as to himself, friend being but

a name for a second Self; therefore as his own existence is

choice-worthy to each so too, or similarly at least, is his

friend's existence. But the ground of one's own existence being

choice-worthy is the perceiving of one's self being good, any

such perception being in itself pleasant. Therefore one ought to

be thoroughly conscious of one's friend's existence, which will

result from living with him, that is sharing in his words and

thoughts: for this is the meaning of the term as applied to the

human species, not mere feeding together as in the case of

brutes.