On the Nature of the Gods by Cicero
Author:Cicero [Cicero]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Philosophie
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2018-03-13T23:00:00+00:00
XXXIII. But if the art of nature gives life and increase to vegetables, without doubt it supports the earth itself; for, being impregnated with seeds, she produces every kind of vegetable, and embracing their roots, she nourishes and increases them; while, in her turn, she receives her nourishment from the other elements, and by her exhalations gives proper sustenance to the air, the sky, and all the superior bodies. If nature gives vigor and support to the earth, by the same reason she has an influence over the rest of the world; for as the earth gives nourishment to vegetables, so the air is the preservation of animals. The air sees with us, hears with us, and utters sounds with us; without it, there would be no seeing, hearing, or sounding. It even moves with us; for wherever we go, whatever motion we make, it seems to retire and give place to us.
That which inclines to the centre, that which rises from it to the surface, and that which rolls about the centre, constitute the universal world, and make one entire nature; and as there are four sorts of bodies, the continuance of nature is caused by their reciprocal changes; for the water arises from the earth, the air from the water, and the fire from the air; and, reversing this order, the air arises from fire, the water from the air, and from the water the earth, the lowest of the four elements, of which all beings are formed. Thus by their continual motions backward and forward, upward and downward, the conjunction of the several parts of the universe is preserved; a union which, in the beauty we now behold it, must be eternal, or at least of a very long duration, and almost for an infinite space of time; and, whichever it is, the universe must of consequence be governed by nature. For what art of navigating fleets, or of marshalling an army, and—to instance the produce of nature—what vine, what tree, what animated form and conformation of their members, give us so great an indication of skill as appears in the universe? Therefore we must either deny that there is the least trace of an intelligent nature, or acknowledge that the world is governed by it. But since the universe contains all particular beings, as well as their seeds, can we say that it is not itself governed by nature? That would be the same as saying that the teeth and the beard of man are the work of nature, but that the man himself is not. Thus the effect would be understood to be greater than the cause.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Ancient & Classical | Arthurian Romance |
Beat Generation | Feminist |
Gothic & Romantic | LGBT |
Medieval | Modern |
Modernism | Postmodernism |
Renaissance | Shakespeare |
Surrealism | Victorian |
4 3 2 1: A Novel by Paul Auster(11045)
The handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood(6851)
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin(5877)
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert(4723)
Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Browne & Stuart M. Keeley(4573)
On Writing A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King(4213)
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday(3989)
Ken Follett - World without end by Ken Follett(3972)
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson(3797)
Bluets by Maggie Nelson(3707)
Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown(3668)
Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton(3585)
Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy(3512)
White Noise - A Novel by Don DeLillo(3434)
The Poetry of Pablo Neruda by Pablo Neruda(3365)
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read(3309)
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald(3225)
The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama(3216)
Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock(3210)