47 pages • 1 hour read
Cicero: On Duties (De Officiis)
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Essay Topics
List and describe the four human virtues that constitute 'honorableness,' and explain their relationship to moral duty, or 'appropriate action.'
Why does Cicero set wisdom apart from the other three virtues that he lists?
How does Cicero define 'nature,' and what is its role in shaping human relationships to moral duty?
Identify the four roles that Cicero believes humans play, and describe how each role relates to duty and moral action.
When giving examples of the honorable and the useful, Cicero often cites situations that contradict his own precepts. Identify three of those contradictions and propose reasoning for their inclusion.
How does Cicero's regard of Julius Caesar's assassination derive from his conception of the honorable and the useful?
Why might Cicero define usefulness in terms of attracting the devotion of fellow humans? How might this relate to the political situation in which he wrote the text?
How does Cicero define 'disgraceful?' What is disgrace's role in separating a useful act from an honorable one?
Which kind of action does Cicero prioritize—the honorable, or the useful? Why might he do this?
With which philosophic school does Cicero's On Duties most align itself? Support your answer with three passages from the text.
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