ABSTRACT
§ 1 . Plutarch belongs to the school of Eclectic Platonists; he was preceded by Eudorus, Arius Didymus, and Ammonius, his teacher, Eudorus was strongly influenced by Stoicism, and directed his attention to the psychology of the practical life. The inclination (ὁρμή) requires to be controlled by reason: this implies first a process of complete deliberation, and, secondly, the direction of the inclination upon the object which reason approves as worthy of action. The psychology of conduct thus divides into three parts: the theoretic, the emotional, the practical. Eudorus does not seem clearly to understand the nature of will: he regards action as dependent on a natural dynamic force, the impulse, and right action as dependent on the guidance of this force by reason. The idea, therefore, can control impulse; but Eudorus fails to solve the problem of impulsive action; probably he thought right action needed more explanation than bad. He distinguishes impulse in the specific sense of the term (ϵἰδική ὁρμή) from the emotions (πάθη), which he classes as impulse carried to excess. Of motives to action Eudorus recognises two classes, the conditional and the exciting or inducive; while men are deterred from action by that which removes impulse through the reason (παραμυθητικός, παθολογικός). Particular actions are regulated by the causes that form mental states, habits, and the like, and training assists in forming these. Good action in the highest sense depends on the will to do good.
