על השיכרות מ׳On Drunkenness 40
א׳
1[162] Now ignorance as a whole is of two different kinds; one single, that is complete insensibility, the other twofold, that is when a man is not merely the victim of a want of knowledge, but also, encouraged by a false idea of his own wisdom, thinks he knows what he does not know at all.
ב׳
2[163] The former is the lesser evil, for it is the cause of less serious and perhaps involuntary errors, and the second is the greater, for it is the parent of great iniquities, not only those which are involuntary, but such as are actually premeditated.
ג׳
3[164] It was this especially which brought trouble to Lot—Lot who was the parent of daughters only and could rear no male or perfect growth within his soul. Two daughters he had and their mother was she who was turned into stone, whom we might call “custom,” if we gave her her right name; her nature is hostile to truth, and if we take her with us, she lags behind and gazes round at the old familiar objects and remains among them like a lifeless monument.
ד׳
4[165] The elder of these daughters will bear the name of Deliberation, and the younger of Assent. For assent follows deliberation, and no one who has given his assent continues to deliberate. The mind then taking his seat in his council begins to make his daughters busy. With the elder, Deliberation, he proceeds to discuss and examine every point; with the younger, Assent, he readily agrees to every suggestion, giving a friendly welcome to any however hostile, if what they have to give offers any enticement of pleasure however small.
ה׳
5[166] In its sober condition the mind does not tolerate this, only when it has succumbed to intoxication and is as though overcome by wine.
