Causes,inner and outer - Plotinus - Ennead III

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To sum up the argument,

all things are foreshown and all events are brought into being by causes,

which are of two kinds :

there are some things which are caused by the SOUL

and others which result from other causes,those of the surrounding ENVIRONMENT.

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The actions of the souls may result from their OWN MOTION

and in accordance with sound reason ;

that is when they do their OWN PROPER WORK.

But when they are hindered from their own proper action,

they do not act but rather suffer.

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So that the causes which prevent the soul from thinking lie outside the soul,

and perhaps one ought to say that this takes place in accordance with FATE -or DESTINY-,

that is,

if one holds that destiny is a cause external to ourselves.

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But the BEST ACTIONS are those which SPRING from WITHIN OURSELVES.

We are our real selves when we are alone.

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The wise and the good perform wise and good acts by themselves.

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The others,do good deeds,

when they can catch their breath

-or when the passions are in abeyance-,

but not because they draw these wise thoughts from outside themselves,

when-ever they do think wisely,

but simply because they are for the moment unhindered by obstacles.

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