Pagina 176 di 734

Now the vice of being destitute of all Self-Control seems to be

more truly voluntary than Cowardice, because pleasure is the

cause of the former and pain of the latter, and pleasure is an

object of choice, pain of avoidance. And again, pain deranges and

spoils the natural disposition of its victim, whereas pleasure

has no such effect and is more voluntary and therefore more

justly open to reproach.

It is so also for the following reason; that it is easier to be

inured by habit to resist the objects of pleasure, there being

many things of this kind in life and the process of habituation

being unaccompanied by danger; whereas the case is the reverse as

regards the objects of fear.