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Then health and sickness too must be good when their effect is good, and evil when it is evil.
But when can health possibly be the cause of evil, or sickness of good?
Why, in many cases; for instance, a disastrous campaign or a fatal voyage: the able-bodied who go are lost, the weaklings who stay behind are saved.
True; but you see, in the successful adventures too the able-bodied take part, the weaklings are left behind.
Then since these bodily conditions sometimes lead to profit, and sometimes to loss, are they any more good than evil?
No, certainly not; at least so it appears from the argument.
Then health and sickness too must be good when their effect is good, and evil when it is evil.
But when can health possibly be the cause of evil, or sickness of good?
Why, in many cases; for instance, a disastrous campaign or a fatal voyage: the able-bodied who go are lost, the weaklings who stay behind are saved.
True; but you see, in the successful adventures too the able-bodied take part, the weaklings are left behind.
Then since these bodily conditions sometimes lead to profit, and sometimes to loss, are they any more good than evil?
No, certainly not; at least so it appears from the argument.
Memorabilia. Xenophon. Edgar Carew Marchant (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1923.
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