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think they are no where. Marcus. and therefore they do not——
exist. Auditor. ay, to be sure, and yet miserable on that
very Account, because they exist not. Marcus. you had
better been afraid of Cerberus, than talk so inconsiderately.
Auditor. why now? Marcus. they very People that you
say are existing you affirm are not existing. what are——
become of your wits? for when you say, people are miserable,
you imply that they exist; when at the same time they do
not exist. Auditor. I am not such a Blockhead, as to say
that neither. Marcus. what do you say then. Auditor.
why, for instance now, I say, Marcus Crassus is miserable
who lost by his death such vast possessions: that Cneius
Pompey is miserable, who was deprived so much Glory
and so great dignity: in short that all are miserable, who
go out of this world. Marcus. Why now you are got to the
same place, from whence you set out. for if they are——
miserable they must exist; but you just now denied the
existence of the dead. if therefore they don't exist they can't
be anything; therefore they can not be miserable.
Auditor. perhaps I can't very well explain my meaning
to you for —— I consider it as a very great misery, not
to be when you have once existed. Marcus. what then
is more miserable than never to have existed at all?
thus, they who are not yet born are already miserable,
because they are not: and we ourselves if we are to be
miserable after death, were miserable before we were
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Identifier: | JB/537/088/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 537.
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1761-01-27 |
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537 |
Tusculan Questions |
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088 |
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002 |
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Copy/fair sheet |
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Jeremy Bentham |
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