Source edition
Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol 6. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1895.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This philosophical essay critically examines and refutes the famous Epicurean maxim "Live in obscurity" (lathe biosas). The author points out the hypocrisy of the maxim's creator, who secretly desired fame, and argues that vices should not be hidden but brought to light for healing. Furthermore, the work asserts that virtue and talent can only realize their true value through active engagement in society rather than through withdrawal. Using the metaphor of night's darkness and the sun's awakening light, the author emphasizes the importance of perception and active life in preventing the decay of the soul. Ultimately, the essay concludes that the purpose of existence is knowledge and that the essence of the soul is light, contrasting the luminous afterlife of the active and pious with the absolute darkness and annihilation that await the inactive and unjust.