ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 examines Posidonius’ doctrine of providence through an analysis of his promotion of reason, presented as an inner dwelling god whose role is to lead human beings towards happiness. The importance of reason is apparent in Posidonius’ definition of the telos, in his epistemology and in his criticism of Epicureanism (which neglects, in his view, the use of reason in both physics and ethics). The last part of the chapter looks into the importance Posidonius gives to reason in his depiction of the condition of the first human beings, and shows the decisive role reason plays in the formation of early political societies (governed by philosophers).
