Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 10

Agit, inquit, aliquid et prodest. Quod autem agit et prodest, impetum habet; quod autem impetum habet, animal est. Verum est, si suum impetum habet; suum autem non habet, sed animi.

Pourquoi donc en conclure que la justice est animal ? Elle agit, dites-vous, elle est utile ; et ce qui agit, ce qui est utile a du mouvement ; or ce qui a du mouvement est animal. - Cela est très-vrai, si ce mouvement est spontané ; mais ici il est emprunté et vient de l’âme.

Then how can you infer that Justice is a living thing? “Justice,” people reply, “is active and helpful; that which acts and is helpful, possesses impulse; and that which possesses impulse is a living thing.” True, if the impulse is its own; (but in the case of justice it is not its own;) the impulse comes from the soul.