Analysis


 * Cicero's thoughts:

Cicero subordinated philosophy to politics, so his philosophy had a political purpose: the defense, and if possible the improvement, of the Roman Republic. He tried to use philosophy to bring about his political goals.

Purpose of Book II:

In Book II, specifically, Cicero writes about the tradition of seperating the honorable acts from the advantageous ones. Cicero like Socrates, takes this seriously by claiming "nothing more destructive than this custom could have been introduced to human life." (II.9) He fears that if this view becomes popular, immoral behavior will prevail in social life. A negative of seperating moral from beneficial, for example, could be "to mistake wickedness for wisdom." (II.10) Therefore, the purpose of Book II is to show how virtue and self interest go hand in hand and how anything without virtue is worthless or ineffective. **