Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 17

Interrogo te, an sapientia expetenda sit; fateris. Interrogo, an usus sapientiae expetendus sit; fateris; negas enim te illam recepturum, si uti ea prohibearis. Quod expetendum est, bonum est. Sapere sapientiae usus est, quomodo eloquentiae eloqui, quomodo oculorum videre. Ergo sapere sapientiae usus est, usus autem sapientiae expetendus est; sapere ergo expetendum est. Si expetendum est, bonum est.

Je te le demande, la sagesse est-elle désirable ? Tu l’avoues. Je te demande ensuite si l’usage de la
sagesse est désirable ? Tu l’avoues encore ; car tu la refuserais, dis-tu, si l’on te défendait d’en user. Ce qui est désirable est un bien. Être sage, c’est user de la sagesse, comme parler est user de la parole, comme voir est user de la vue. Puis donc qu’être sage, c’est user de la sagesse ; que l’usage de la sagesse est désirable ;

If I ask you whether wisdom is to be desired, you admit that it is. If I ask you whether the employment of wisdom is to be desired, you also admit the fact; for you say that you will not receive wisdom if you are not allowed to employ it. Now that which is to be desired is a Good. Being wise is the employment of wisdom, just as it is of eloquence to make a speech, or of the eyes to see things. Therefore, being wise is the employment of wisdom, and the employment of wisdom is to be desired. Therefore being wise is a thing to be desired; and if it is a thing to be desired, it is a Good.