Miscellanies 6.8.69
Summary: Knowledge precedes impulse and action, so it is the source of all rational action and the distinguishing mark of the rational soul.
Greek text · Stählin 2:466
εὑρίσκεται δʼ ἡ ὁρμὴ μετά τινα συγκατάθεσιν κίνησις οὖσα· ὁ γὰρ ὁρμήσας εἴς τινα πρᾶξιν πρότερον τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς πράξεως λαμβάνει, δεύτερον δὲ τὴν ὁρμήν. ἔτι κἀπὶ τοῦδε κατανοήσωμεν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ μαθεῖν τοῦ πρᾶξαι πρεσβύτερόν ἐστιν (φύσει γὰρ ὁ πράσσων τοῦτο, ὅ πρᾶξαι βούλεται, μανθάνει πρότερον) καὶ ἡ μὲν γνῶσις ἐκ τοῦ μαθεῖν, τὸ πρᾶξαι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ὁρμῆσαι κἀκ τοῦ μανθάνειν ἡ γνῶσις, ἕπεται δὲ τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ ἡ ὁρμὴ μεθʼ ἣν ἡ πρᾶξις, ἀρχὴ καὶ δημιουργὸς πάσης λογικῆς πράξεως ἡ γνῶσις εἴη ἄν, ὥστʼ ἂν εἰκότως ταύτῃ μόνῃ χαρακτηρίζοιτο ἡ τῆς λογικῆς ἰδιότης ψυχῆς· τῷ ὄντι γὰρ ἡ μὲν ὁρμὴ καθάπερ γνῶσίς ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῶν ὄντων κινουμένη, γνῶσις δὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, θέα τίς ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς τῶν ὄντων ἤτοι τινῶν, τελειωθεῖσα δὲ τῶν συμπάντων.
English · Claude translation
Impulse is found to be a movement that follows some assent; for one who has an impulse toward some action first gets knowledge of the action, and second the impulse. Let us consider this further. Since learning is prior to doing (for by nature the one who acts first learns what he wishes to do), and knowledge comes from learning, and doing from having an impulse; and since knowledge comes from learning, and impulse follows understanding, and action follows impulse; knowledge would be the beginning and maker of every rational action, so that the particular character of the rational soul would rightly be marked out by this alone. For in truth impulse is, as it were, knowledge moving toward things, while knowledge itself is a kind of vision by the soul of things, either of some things or, when perfected, of all.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The analysis of assent, impulse, and action is Stoic.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.8.69 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/8/69/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.8.69 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/8/69/).
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