The Maxims of Good Discourse

8/12/2019 The Maxims of Good Discourse

1/19

The Maxims of Good Discourseby vizier Ptahhotep (ca. 2200 BC!

after t"o Midd#e $i%&dom copies

ad'ace%t pa&es

%oteso% the tra%s#atio%

#exico%of specia# co%ceptshieroyphic textof the Maxims

by )im va% de% Du%&e%

http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/ptahhotep_maxims.htm

The Maxims of Good Discourse, named after the 37 wisdom sayings which mae out the !u" of thisancient text, is indeed a "iterary composition, i.e. a text which shows deliberate cognitive design!eyondthat of a record, "ist or co""ection of mora" ideas. This ancient text #ca. $$%% years o"d&, written !y a manca""ed '(tahhotep' #'pt)*)tp'&, has !een "a!e""ed a 'mora"' text which does not 'amount to acomprehensi+e mora" code', nor are its precepts 'strung together in any "oca" order' #ichtheim, -7,+o" -, p.01& ...

s the category '"ogica" order' #in its Gree sense& app"ica!"e to the context of 2ncient gyptian thought,writingand +er!a"isation4 5esides mora"ity, (tahhotep a"so teaches, !y examp"e, anthropo"ogy, po"itics

and the emancipation of e+eryman. 6ndeed, he touches 'upon the most important aspects of humanre"ations' #ichtheim, -7, +o" -, p.01&. Moreo+er, the compositiona" !ac!one of this remara!"e text,written as ear"y as the "ate 6th Dynasty #ca.11%% 58&, is 'discourse' and its dynamics, which issuggesti+e of the +er!a" phi"osophy of Memphis. 9urthermore, an 'ascetica"' approach to di+inity ispresent, for none of the gods #except for his Maesty the (haraoh, ;siris, Maat and the '9o""owers of)orus'& are mentioned !y name. '


2/19

I PROLOGUE

)ritte% teachi%&s ofthe overseer of the city* the vizier Ptahhotep*(1)

u%der the Ma'esty of Pharaoh +zezi*$i%& of ,pper a%d -o"er &ypt* may he #ive for ever a%d ever

The overseer of the city* the vizier Ptahhotep* he says

/overei&%* my -ord 1#d a&e is here* o#d a&e arrives xhaustio% comes* "ea%ess is made %e".1%e #ies do"% i% discomfort a## day*eyes are dim* ears deaf*

stre%&th "a%es* the heart is "eary.The mouth* si#e%t* speas %ot*the heart* e%ded* reca##s %ot the past*the bo%es ache throu&hout.Good becomes evi#*a## taste is &o%e.)hat a&e does to peop#eis evi# i% everythi%&.The %ose c#o&&ed* breathes %ot*

difficu#t are sta%di%& a%d sitti%&.(2)

May this serva%t be comma%ded to mae a 3taff of 1#d 4&e3 (3)

so as to spea to him the "ords of the 'ud&es*(4)the "ays of those before*"ho #iste%ed to the &ods.(5)

May the #ie be do%e for 5ou*so that strife may be removed from the peop#e*a%d the T"o hores (6)may serve 5ou./

The Ma'esty of this &od said

/4s for 5ou* teach him the% the sayi%&s of the past*so that he may become a &ood examp#e for the chi#dre% of the &reat.(7)May heari%& e%ter him a%dthe exact%ess of every heart that speas to him.(8)
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3/19

6o o%e is bor% "ise./

II THE TEACHING

Be&i%%i%& of the maxims of &ood discourse*(9)

spoe% by the pri%ce* cou%t* &od3s father* be#oved of &od*e#dest so% of the $i%&* of his body*(10)

overseer of the city* vizier Ptahhotep*teachi%& the i&%ora%t i% %o"#ed&e*a%d i% the sta%dard of &ood discourse*(11)

be%eficia# to him "ho hears*but "oe to him "ho %eects them.

o he spoe to his so%

7

/Do%3t #et your heart &et bi& because of your %o"#ed&e.Tae cou%se# "ith the i&%ora%t as "e## as "ith the scho#ar.(8or! the #imits of art are %ot brou&ht*(a%d! %o artisa% is e9uipped "ith perfectio%.(12)

Good discourse is more hidde% tha% &ree% sto%e*(13)

yet may be fou%d amo%& the maids at the &ri%dsto%es.(14)

2

+f 5ou meet a disputa%t i% his mome%t (of actio%!*(15)

o%e "ho directs his heart* superior to 5ou*fo#d your arms (16)a%d be%d your bac.Do %ot seize your heart a&ai%st him*(for! he "i## %ever a&ree "ith 5ou.Be#itt#e the evi# speech*

by %ot opposi%& him "hi#e he is i% his mome%t.:e "i## be ca##ed a %o";%othi%&*"he% your co%tro# of heart "i## match his pi#es (of "ords!.

eport your commissio% "ithout s"a##o"i%& the heart*a%d &ive your advise i% your master3s cou%ci#.+f he is f#ue%t i% his speech*it "i## %ot be hard for the e%voy to report*%or "i## he be a%s"ered 3)ho is he to %o" it E3

4s to the master* his affairs "i## fai#*if he p#a%s to pu%ish him for it.(40)

:e shou#d be si#e%t a%d co%c#ude 3+ have spoe%.3

7?

+f 5ou are a ma% "ho #eads*that your "ay to &over% may free#y trave#.(41)

5ou shou#d do outsta%di%& thi%&s.

emember the day that comes after*(42)

(so that! %o strife "i## occur i% the midst of ho%ors.(43)

(+%deed!* "here a hidi%& crocodi#e emer&es* hatred arises.(44)

7@

+f 5ou are a ma% "ho #eads*
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9/19

ca#m#y hear the speech of o%e "ho p#eads*(a%d! do %ot stop him from pur&i%& his body (45)

of that "hich he p#a%%ed to te##.4 ma% i% distress "a%ts to "ash his heart

more tha% that his case be "o%.4bout him "ho stops a p#ea*o%e says 3)hy does he re'ect it E36ot a## o%e p#eads for ca% be &ra%ted*but a &ood heari%& ca#ms the heart.

7A

+f 5ou "a%t frie%dship to e%durei% the house 5ou e%ter*

as master* brother* or frie%d*or i% "hatever p#ace 5ou e%ter*be"are of approachi%& the "ome% ,%happy is the p#ace "here it is do%e.(Their! face is %ot ee% o% he "ho i%trudes o% them.4 thousa%d me% are tur%ed a"ay from their &ood.4 short mome%t #ie a dream*the% death comes for havi%& %o"% them.(46)

Poor advice is 3shoot the oppo%e%t3 (47)

)he% o%e &oes to do it* the heart re'ects it.(But! as for him "ho fai#s throu&h #ust of them*%o affair of his ca% prosper.

7

+f 5ou "a%t your co%duct to be perfect*de#iver yourse#f from every evi#*(a%d! combat a&ai%st the &reed of the heart.

+t is a &rievous sic%ess "ithout cure*impossib#e to pe%etrate.+t causes disaster amo%& fathers a%d mothers*amo%& the brothers of the mother*a%d parts "ife from husba%d.+t is a% ama#&am of a## evi#s*a bu%d#e of a## hatefu# thi%&s.
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10/19

That ma% e%dures "ho correct#y app#ies Maat*a%d "a#s accordi%& to his stride.(48)

:e "i## mae a "i## by it.The &reedy of heart has %o tomb (49)

20

Do %ot be &reedy of heart i% the divisio% (of &oods!.(50)

Do %ot covet more tha% your share.Do %ot be &reedy of heart to"ard your i%.The i%d has a &reater c#aim tha% the rude.The fami#y of the #atter revea#s very #itt#e*(51)

(for! he is deprived of "hat speech bri%&s.(52)

ve% a #itt#e of "hat is craved*

maes co%f#ict rise i% a coo#;be##ied ma%.(53)

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)he% 5ou prosper* fou%d your house*#ove your "ife "ith ardor*fi## her be##y* c#othe her bac*oi%tme%t is a remedy for her body.G#adde% her heart as #o%& as 5ou #ive.

he is a ferti#e fie#d* usefu# to her master.Do %ot co%te%d "ith her i% a court of 'ustice*(a%d! eep her from po"er* restrai% her.:er eye is her storm "he% she &azes.(54)

5ou "i## mae her stay i% your house.+f 5ou push her bac* see the tears :er va&i%a is o%e of her forms of actio%.)hat she e%forces* is that a ca%a# be made for her.(55)

22

atisfy those "ho e%ter* a%d i% "hom 5ou trust* "ith "hat 5ou mae*(for! 5ou mae it by the favour of &od.1f him "ho fai#s to satisfy those "ho e%ter* a%d i% "hom he trusts*o%e says 34 $a too p#eased "ith itse#f 3.(56)

)hat "i## come is u%%o"%* eve% if o%e u%dersta%ds tomorro".
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11/19

The (proper! $a is a correct $a at peace "ith itse#f.(57)

+f praise"orthy deeds are do%e*trust"orthy frie%ds "i## say 3)e#come 31%e does %ot bri%& supp#ies to to"%*

o%e bri%&s frie%ds "he% there is %eed.

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The Maxims of Good Discourse