Amongthemoralistswhoendeavourtocorrectthenaturalinequalityofourpassivefeelingsbydiminishingoursensibilitytowhatpeculiarlyconcernsourselves，wemaycountalltheancientsectsofphilosophers，butparticularlytheancientStoics。Man，accordingtotheStoics，oughttoregardhimself，notassomethingseparatedanddetached，butasacitizenoftheworld，amemberofthevastcommonwealthofnature。Totheinterestofthisgreatcommunity，heoughtatalltimestobewillingthathisownlittleinterestshouldbesacrificed。
Whateverconcernshimself，oughttoaffecthimnomorethanwhateverconcernsanyotherequallyimportantpartofthisimmensesystem。Weshouldviewourselves，notinthelightinwhichourownselfishpassionsareapttoplaceus，butinthelightinwhichanyothercitizenoftheworldwouldviewus。Whatbefallsourselvesweshouldregardaswhatbefallsourneighbour，or，whatcomestothesamething，asourneighbourregardswhatbefallsus。’Whenourneighbour，’saysEpictetus，’loseshiswife，orhisson，thereisnobodywhoisnotsensiblethatthisisahumancalamity，anaturaleventaltogetheraccordingtotheordinarycourseofthings；but，whenthesamethinghappenstoourselves，thenwecryout，asifwehadsufferedthemostdreadfulmisfortune。Weought，however，torememberhowwewereaffectedwhenthisaccidenthappenedtoanother，andsuchaswewereinhiscase，suchoughtwetobeinourown。’
Thoseprivatemisfortunes，forwhichourfeelingsareapttogobeyondtheboundsofpropriety，areoftwodifferentkinds。
Theyareeithersuchasaffectusonlyindirectly，byaffecting，inthefirstplace，someotherpersonswhoareparticularlydeartous；suchasourparents，ourchildren，ourbrothersandsisters，ourintimatefriends；ortheyaresuchasaffectourselvesimmediatelyanddirectly，eitherinourbody，inourfortune，orinourreputation；suchaspain，sickness，approachingdeath，poverty，disgrace，etc。
Inmisfortunesofthefirstkind，ouremotionsmay，nodoubt，goverymuchbeyondwhatexactproprietywilladmitof；buttheymaylikewisefallshortofit，andtheyfrequentlydoso。Themanwhoshouldfeelnomoreforthedeathordistressofhisownfather，orson，thanforthoseofanyotherman’sfatherorson，wouldappearneitheragoodsonnoragoodfather。Suchunnaturalindifference，farfromexcitingourapplause，wouldincurourhighestdisapprobation。Ofthosedomesticaffections，however，somearemostapttooffendbytheirexcess，andothersbytheirdefect。Nature，forthewisestpurposes，hasrendered，inmostmen，perhapsinallmen，parentaltendernessamuchstrongeraffectionthanfilialpiety。Thecontinuanceandpropagationofthespeciesdependaltogetherupontheformer，andnotuponthelatter。Inordinarycases，theexistenceandpreservationofthechilddependaltogetheruponthecareoftheparents。Thoseoftheparentsseldomdependuponthatofthechild。Nature，therefore，hasrenderedtheformeraffectionsostrong，thatitgenerallyrequiresnottobeexcited，buttobemoderated；andmoralistsseldomendeavourtoteachushowtoindulge，butgenerallyhowtorestrainourfondness，ourexcessiveattachment，theunjustpreferencewhichwearedisposedtogivetoourownchildrenabovethoseofotherpeople。Theyexhortus，onthecontrary，toanaffectionateattentiontoourparents，andtomakeaproperreturntothem，intheiroldage，forthekindnesswhichtheyhadshowntousinourinfancyandyouth。IntheDecaloguewearecommandedtohonourourfathersandmothers。Nomentionismadeoftheloveofourchildren。Naturehadsufficientlypreparedusfortheperformanceofthislatterduty。