“The diseases Source of the mind are more numerous and more dangerous than the diseases of the body.”
This topic Cicero (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) has been extensively researched and documented by historians and scholars.
This powerful assertion from Marcus Tullius Cicero resonates across millennia. While not from De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum directly, this statement from his Tusculan Disputations perfectly encapsulates the philosophical arguments he explores in his great work on ethics. Cicero, a Roman statesman, lawyer, and philosopher, dedicated much of his writing to understanding the human condition. In De Finibus, he meticulously dissects various schools of thought to uncover the ultimate source of a good life. His analysis consistently returns to a central theme. True happiness and virtue depend fundamentally on the health of one’s mind.
The Search for the Highest Good
Cicero wrote De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, or On the Ends of Good and Evil, to explore one of philosophy’s most pressing questions: What is the ultimate goal of human life? He structured the work as a series of dialogues. In these discussions, he presents and critiques the ethical systems of the major philosophical schools of his time. This approach allows readers to weigh the merits of each perspective for themselves.
The primary contenders are Epicureanism, which posits pleasure as the highest good, and Stoicism, which champions virtue. Cicero also examines the views of the Peripatetic school, founded by Aristotle. By placing these philosophies in direct conversation, Cicero creates a comprehensive map of ancient ethical thought. Consequently, he provides a framework for understanding why the state of our mind is so critical. Each philosophy offers a different path to fulfillment. However, all paths are blocked by what Cicero calls the