Chapter 1

1 […] because it concerns conduct—“character,” as the Greeks call it—we usually call this branch of philosophy the study of conduct; but anyone enriching the Latin language ought to call it “moral philosophy.” We must also explain the force and nature of statements, which the Greeks call “propositions.” What force these possess when they say something about the future, and about what can or cannot happen, is a difficult question, which philosophers call the question “of possibilities.” The whole subject belongs to logic, which I call the art of reasoning. In my books on the nature of the gods, and likewise in those I published on divination, I presented a sustained argument on each side, so that each reader might more readily accept the view that seemed most probable to him. In this discussion of fate, a particular circumstance prevented me from doing so.

2 I was at my villa near Puteoli, and our friend Hirtius, the consul-elect, was in the same neighborhood. He was a very dear friend of mine, devoted to those studies in which I have lived from boyhood, and we spent much time together, chiefly seeking ways to secure peace and harmony among our fellow citizens. For after Caesar's death, it seemed that every possible ground for fresh disturbances was being sought out, and we thought these must be forestalled. Almost all our conversation was therefore spent in these deliberations. This happened on many occasions; and on one day, freer than usual and less exposed to interruptions, he came to see me, and we began with what had become our daily, almost prescribed business: peace and public quiet.

1 […] since its subject is conduct, or what the Greeks call “character,” we generally refer to this branch of philosophy as the study of conduct. To expand Latin's vocabulary, though, we should give it the name “moral philosophy.” Statements also need explaining: what they mean and how they work. The Greek name for them is “propositions.” There is a difficult question about their force when they concern future events or things that may or may not happen. Philosophers name that question “possibilities.” The whole inquiry falls within logic, my term for the method of argument. My books On the Nature of the Gods and On Divination set out each side's case at length. That allowed readers to choose the position they found most convincing. Something happened that prevented me from using that approach here, in discussing fate.

2 Hirtius and I were staying near Puteoli, where I have a house. He was consul-elect, a close friend, and keenly interested in the studies that had occupied me from childhood. We saw a great deal of each other. Our main concern was finding ways for our fellow citizens to live peacefully together. Since Caesar's death, everyone seemed to be searching for occasions to cause fresh disturbances. We felt we must head those off. That question took up nearly all our talk. Besides our many other conversations, there was a day when we had unusually little to do and visitors were less likely to interrupt. He called on me. We started with what had become our daily duty, almost a fixed routine: discussing peace and public calm.