“On meurt deux Source fois, je le vois bien : > > Cesser d’aimer & d’être aimable, > > C’est une mort insupportable : > > Cesser de vivre, ce n’est rien.”
This poignant reflection captures a profound human fear. It suggests we face two deaths: the end of our physical life and the end of our social and emotional life. The quote argues that the latter—to stop loving and being loved—is the truly unbearable end. While this sentiment resonates deeply with ethical questions about what makes life worth living, its origin is often misattributed. These words belong to the French philosopher Voltaire, not the ancient Greek biographer Plutarch.
However, this quote provides an excellent starting point for exploring Plutarch’s own rich ethical philosophy. Plutarch, too, was intensely focused on the quality of a life. He believed that a life well-lived was the ultimate goal. For him, the greatest tragedy was not death itself, but a life lived without virtue. Therefore, let’s delve into Plutarch’s ideas on character, virtue, and the circumstances that define a meaningful existence.
Who Was Plutarch?
Plutarch was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist who lived from approximately 46 to 120 AD. He served as a priest at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and was a prominent intellectual figure in the Roman Empire. His most famous works are the Parallel Lives and the Moralia. The Parallel Lives pairs famous Greek and Roman figures, such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, to explore their characters and moral choices. The Moralia is a diverse collection of essays on ethical, religious, and political topics.
Unlike philosophers who focused on abstract theories, Plutarch was a practical moralist. He wanted to provide guidance for living a virtuous life. He believed that studying the lives of great individuals offered the best lessons in ethics. By examining their successes and failures, we can learn to cultivate our own character and navigate the challenges of life more wisely.
The Foundation: Virtue as Cultivated Character
At the heart of Plutarch’s philosophy lies the concept of ethos, or character. For him, virtue was not a set of rules to follow. Instead, it was a stable disposition of the soul, developed through practice and habit. A person becomes brave by acting bravely. They become just by acting justly. Consequently, morality is an active, ongoing project of character formation. This process shapes who we are at our core.
Plutarch believed that a good character was the most valuable possession. It provides an inner compass that guides our actions, regardless of external pressures. While wealth, health, and reputation are valuable, they are ultimately subject to fortune. Character, however, is something we can control and develop. This internal foundation gives a person stability and resilience. It allows them to face adversity with grace and prosperity with humility. Indeed, a virtuous character is the bedrock of a happy and fulfilling life.
The Interplay of Action and Circumstance
Virtue, however, does not exist in a vacuum. Plutarch understood that character is revealed and tested through action in the real world. He emphasized the importance of circumstance and opportune moments, a concept known as kairos. A person may possess a virtuous character, but it means little until they apply it to a specific situation. For example, courage is only truly demonstrated when facing danger. Generosity requires an opportunity to give.
This is where Plutarch’s philosophy becomes particularly nuanced. He argued that we cannot always control what happens to us. Fortune plays a significant role in our lives. However, we can control how we respond. A virtuous person uses reason to navigate difficult circumstances and seize opportunities to act morally. Therefore, a good life involves a partnership between our internal character and our wise engagement with the external world. The moral quality of an action depends not just on the intention but also on its execution within a specific context.
Learning from the Lives of Others
Plutarch’s Parallel Lives is a masterclass in practical ethics. Source He did not write these biographies simply to record historical facts. His primary goal was moral instruction. He presented his subjects as complex human beings, complete with strengths and fatal flaws. By comparing their lives, he highlighted how specific virtues led to success and how certain vices led to ruin.
For instance, he might show how a brilliant general’s arrogance ultimately caused his downfall. Conversely, he could illustrate how a statesman’s integrity earned him lasting respect. These stories served as powerful moral case studies. Readers could see the long-term consequences of character traits played out on the grand stage of history. Plutarch invited his audience to reflect on their own lives and to model themselves after the virtues of the great while learning from their mistakes.
A Plutarchan View on the ‘Two Deaths’
Returning to Voltaire’s quote, how might Plutarch interpret the idea of an