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deliberative concerning the things in our power, or an appetitive deliberation concerning the things in our power, for we desire what has been preferred from deliberation when we make a choice. Since we said that choice is concerned with the same things as deliberation, let us clarify what deliberation is occupied with, and about what things we deliberate. 33 About what things do we deliberate Before saying about what things we deliberate, it is better to define how deliberation differs from inquiry; for deliberation and inquiry are not the same thing, even if the one who deliberates deliberates by inquiring about something, but it differs greatly. For we inquire whether the sun is larger than the earth; but no one says "I am deliberating whether the sun is larger than the earth." For inquiry is a genus of deliberation; for it is spoken of more broadly. For all deliberation is inquiry; but not all inquiry is deliberation. And this has been shown; But "to consider" we sometimes say in the sense of "to deliberate," as in "I am considering whether I should sail," but at other times in the sense of "to understand," as in "I am considering my lessons," not "I am deliberating my lessons." And we are often confused by hearing the words without distinction, thinking what is not the same to be the same. Therefore, since the difference between these has been made clear, it must next be said about what things we deliberate. We deliberate, then, about things in our power and able to come about through us and having an uncertain outcome, that is, being able to happen in one way or another. So, "in our power" is said because we deliberate only about practical matters, for these are in our power. For we do not deliberate about what is called theoretical philosophy (nor, indeed, about God); nor about things that happen by necessity (and by necessity I mean things that always happen in the same way), such as the yearly cycle; nor about things that are not eternal, but always happen in the same way, such as the setting and rising of the sun; nor about things that are by nature, but do not always happen in the same way but for the most part, such as a sixty-year-old going gray or a twenty-year-old growing a beard; nor about things that are by nature, but happen indefinitely at different times in different ways, such as about rains or droughts or hailstorms; nor about things said to happen by chance, which are among the less frequent possibilities. For these reasons, then, "in our power" is said; and "through us" since we do not deliberate about all people nor about every matter; for we do not deliberate how our enemies or those settled far from us might govern themselves well, although this is a matter for their deliberation. Nor do we deliberate about all things that happen through us and are in our power, but it is necessary to add also "having an uncertain outcome," for if it is clear and agreed upon, we no longer deliberate; for deliberation is not concerned with the works or actions according to knowledge or art; for the principles of these are defined, except for a few arts called stochastic, such as medicine and gymnastics and navigation. For we deliberate not only about these, but about the things that are in our power and through us, yet have an uncertain outcome and can be done in one way or another. And it was shown that deliberation is not about the end but about the things that lead to the end. For we deliberate not to be rich, but how and by what means we will become rich; and to speak concisely, we deliberate only about these things, about things that are equally possible. And concerning this we must distinguish, so that nothing may be lacking in the argument for the sake of clarity. Powers are spoken of as those according to which we are able to do something; for of everything we do we have a power, and of those things for which we do not have a power, we do not have the actions either. Therefore action depends on power, and power on substance; for action is from power and power is from substance and in substance. Therefore there are these three things, as we said, depending on one another: that which has power, power, and the possible. That which has power is substance; power is that from which we have the ability to be able; and the possible is that which is by nature able to come into being according to power. Of possible things, some are necessary, and others are contingent. Necessary things are those which it is impossible to prevent, or those whose opposite is also impossible; and a contingent thing is that which is able to be prevented, or that whose opposite is also possible. For example, it is necessary for a living human to breathe; the opposite of this is also impossible, for a living person not to breathe; but a contingent thing

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βουλευτικὴν τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, ἢ βούλευσιν ὀρεκτικὴν τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, τοῦ γὰρ προκριθέντος ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς ἐφιέμεθα προαιρούμενοι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἔφαμεν περὶ ταὐτὰ εἶναι περὶ ἃ καὶ ἡ βουλή, διασαφήσωμεν περὶ τίνα καταγίνεται ἡ βουλή, καὶ περὶ τίνων βουλευόμεθα. 33 περὶ τίνων βουλευόμεθα Πρὶν εἰπεῖν περὶ τίνων βουλευόμεθα βέλτιον διορίσαι τίνι διαφέρει βουλὴ ζητήσεως· οὐ γὰρ ταὐτόν ἐστι βουλὴ καὶ ζήτησις, εἰ καὶ ὁ βουλευόμενος ζητῶν τι βουλεύεται, ἀλλὰ πολὺ διαφέρει. ζητοῦμεν γὰρ εἰ μείζων ἐστὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ ἥλιος· οὐδεὶς δὲ λέγει "βουλεύομαι εἰ μείζων ἐστὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ ἥλιος." ἔστι γὰρ ἡ ζήτησις γένος τῆς βουλῆς· καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ πλέον λέγεται. πᾶσα μὲν γὰρ βουλὴ ζήτησίς ἐστιν· οὐ πᾶσα δὲ ζήτησις βουλή. δέδεικται δέ τοῦτο· τὸ δὲ σκέπτεσθαι ποτὲ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ βουλεύεσθαι λέγομεν, ὡς "σκέπτομαι εἰ δεῖ πλεῦσαι," ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατανοεῖν, ὡς "σκέπτομαι τὰ μαθήματα," οὐ "βουλεύομαι τὰ μαθήματα." ταρασσόμεθα δὲ πολλάκις ἀδιακρίτως ἀκούοντες τῶν ὀνομάτων, νομίζοντες ταὐτὸν τὸ μὴ ταὐτόν. τῆς οὖν διαφορᾶς τούτων φανερᾶς γενομένης ῥητέον λοιπὸν περὶ τίνων βουλευόμεθα. βουλευόμεθα οὖν περὶ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν καὶ δι' ἡμῶν δυναμένων γενέσθαι καὶ ἄδηλον ἐχόντων τὸ τέλος, τουτέστι δυναμένων καὶ οὕτως καὶ ἄλλως γενέσθαι. τὸ μὲν οὖν "ἐφ' ἡμῖν" εἴρηται ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῶν πρακτῶν μόνον βουλευόμεθα, ταῦτα γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. οὐ γὰρ περὶ τῆς θεωρητικῆς καλουμένης φιλοσοφίας βουλευόμεθα (οὔτε γὰρ περὶ θεοῦ)· οὔτε περὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀνάγκης γινομένων (ἐξ ἀνάγκης δὲ λέγω τὰ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως γινόμενα), οἷον τοῦ κύκλου τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ· οὔτε περὶ τῶν οὐκ ἀεὶ μὲν ὄντων, ἀεὶ δὲ ὁμοίως γινομένων, οἷον δύσεως καὶ ἀνατο λῆς ἡλίου· οὔτε περὶ τῶν φύσει μέν, οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ ὁμοίως γινομένων ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον, οἷον περὶ τοῦ πολιοῦσθαι τὸν ἑξηκοντούτην ἢ γενειάσκειν τὸν εἰκοσαετῆ· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν φύσει μέν, ἄλλοτε δὲ ἄλλως ἀορίστως γινομένων, οἷον περὶ ὄμβρων ἢ αὐχμῶν ἢ χαλάζης· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τύχης γίνεσθαι λεγομένων, ἅπερ ἐστὶ τῶν ἐπ' ἔλαττον ἐνδεχομένων. διὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τὸ "ἐφ' ἡμῖν" εἴρηται· τὸ δὲ "δι' ἡμῶν" ἐπειδήπερ οὐ περὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ περὶ παντὸς πράγματος βουλευόμεθα· οὐ γὰρ βουλευόμεθα πῶς οἱ πολέμιοι ἢ οἱ μακρὰν ἡμῶν ἀπῳκισμένοι καλῶς πολιτεύοιντο, καίτοι τοῦτο παρ' ἐκείνοις βουλευτόν ἐστιν. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ περὶ πάντων τῶν δι' ἡμῶν γινομένων καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ὄντων βουλευόμεθα, ἀλλὰ δεῖ προσκεῖσθαι καὶ τὸ "ἄδηλον ἐχόντων τὸ τέλος," ἐὰν γὰρ ᾖ φανερὸν καὶ ὁμολογούμενον οὐκέτι βουλευόμεθα· οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ τῶν κατ' ἐπιστήμην ἢ τέχνην ἔργων ἢ πράξεων ἡ βουλή· ὡρισμένοι γὰρ τούτων οἱ λόγοι πλὴν ὀλίγων τεχνῶν τῶν καλουμένων στοχαστικῶν, οἷον ἰατρικῆς καὶ γυμναστικῆς καὶ κυβερνητικῆς. οὐ περὶ τούτων γὰρ βουλευόμεθα μόνον ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν μὲν καὶ δι' ἡμῶν, ἄδηλον δὲ τὸ τέλος ἐχόντων καὶ δυναμένων καὶ οὕτως καὶ ἄλλως πραχθῆναι. ἐδείχθη δὲ ὡς οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ τέλους ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἡ βουλή. βουλευόμεθα γὰρ οὐ πλουτῆσαι ἀλλ' ὅπως καὶ δι' ὧν πλουτήσομεν· συνελόντι δὲ εἰπεῖν περὶ τούτων μόνων βουλευόμεθα περὶ τῶν ἐπίσης ἐνδεχομένων. καὶ περὶ τούτου δεῖ διαλαβεῖν, ἵνα μηδὲν ἐλλείπῃ τῷ λόγῳ πρὸς σαφήνειαν. δυνάμεις λέγονται καθ' ἃς δυνάμεθά τι ποιεῖν· παντὸς γὰρ οὗ ποιοῦμεν δύναμιν ἔχομεν, ὧν δὲ δύναμιν οὐκ ἔχομεν, τούτων οὐδὲ τὰς πράξεις. ἔχεται οὖν ἡ μὲν πρᾶξις δυνάμεως, ἡ δὲ δύναμις οὐσίας· ἥ τε γὰρ πρᾶξις ἀπὸ δυνάμεως καὶ ἡ δύναμις ἀπὸ τῆς οὐσίας καὶ ἐν οὐσίᾳ. τρία οὖν ταῦτά ἐστιν, ὡς ἔφαμεν, ἀλλήλων ἐχόμενα· δυνάμενον, δύναμις, δυνατόν. δυνάμενον μὲν ἡ οὐσία· δύναμις δὲ ἀφ' ἧς ἔχομεν τὸ δύνασθαι· δυνατὸν δὲ τὸ κατὰ δύναμιν πεφυκὸς γίγνεσθαι. τῶν δὲ δυνατῶν τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἀναγκαῖα, τὰ δὲ ἐνδεχόμενα. ἀναγκαῖα μὲν ἅπερ ἀδύνατον κωλυθῆναι, ἢ ὧν καὶ τὸ ἀντικείμενον ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν· ἐνδεχόμενον δὲ τὸ δυνάμενον κωλυθῆναι, ἢ οὗ καὶ τὸ ἀντικείμενον δυνατόν. οἷον ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν ἀναπνεῖν ἄνθρωπον ζῶντα· τούτου καὶ τὸ ἀντικείμενον ἀδύνατόν ἐστι, τὸ μὴ ἀναπνεῖν ζῶντα· ἐνδεχόμενον δὲ