MARCUS: And so, whatever that may be which possesses thought, wisdom, life, vitality — it must be of Heaven and divine, and therefore immortal.
[Ita, quicquid est illud, quod sentit, quod sapit, quod vivit, quod viget, caeleste et divinum ob eamque rem aeternum sit necesse est.]
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC) Roman orator, statesman, philosopher
Tusculan Disputations [Tusculanae Disputationes], Book 1, ch. 27 (1.27) / sec. 66 (1.66) (45 BC) [tr. Black (1889)]
(Source)
This passage is actually quoted by Cicero from his now-lost Consolation [Consolatio], written after the death of his daughter. That text survives only in fragments such as this.
(Source (Latin)). Other translations:Whatever therefore is that Principle which hath Sense, which hath Wisdom, which hath Will, which hath Activity, it is Celestial and Divine, and therefore, must of necessity be eternal.
[tr. Wase (1643)]Whatever then that is, which thinks, which has understanding, volition, and a principle of life, is heavenly and divine, and on that account must necessarily be eternal.
[tr. Main (1824)]Therefore, that nature, in us, which thinks, which knows, and is full of life, whatever it may be in itself, is celestial and divine, and necessarily, for that reason, eternal.
[tr. Otis (1839)]Whatever, then, that is which thinks, and which has understanding, and volition, and a principle of life, is heavenly and divine, and on that account must necessarily be eternal.
[tr. Yonge (1853)]Thus whatever that is, which feels, which knows, which lives, which has an interior principle of life, is heavenly and divine, and must therefore of necessity be eternal.
[tr. Peabody (1886)]Whatever that principle is which feels, conceives, lives, and exists, it is heavenly and divine, and therefore must be eternal.
[tr. Taylor/Hunt (1916)]So whatever it is which has feeling, intelligence, life, and energy is heavenly and divine, and on that account must be eternal.
[tr. Douglas (1985)]Whatever it is that thinks, knows, lives, and grows must be heavenly, divine, and therefore eternal.<
[tr. Habinek (1996)]Accordingly whatever it is that has consciousness, life and activity must be heavenly and divine, and for that reason eternal.
[tr. Davie (2017)]
Quotations about:
sentience
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
I do not know whether dogs can think, or what thinking is, or whether human beings can think. But whether human beings can think or not, I know that those who love dogs think that dogs can think. This, I am afraid, is the sum total of my contribution to human knowledge on this important subject.
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
“Do Dogs Think?,” New York American (1932-06-15)
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