The Theory of Moral Sentiments · Character

Cato

Roman Stoic senator cited as an example of virtue and self-command.

minor

First appearance: section iii of self command

Cato's tie to Seneca is one of the pressures that moves The Theory of Moral Sentiments—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

Cited as an example of heroic magnanimity; his composure in the face of suicide is admired by spectators.

In the storyI: That Though Our Sympathy with Sorrow Is Generally a More Lively Sensation Than Our Sympathy with Joy, It Commonly Falls Much More Short of the Violence of What Is Naturally Felt by the Person Principally ConcernedOpen this moment free

See Cato in I: That Though Our Sympathy with Sorrow Is Generally a More Lively Sensation Than Our Sympathy with Joy, It Commonly Falls Much More Short of the Violence of What Is Naturally Felt by the Person Principally Concerned Book page

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With Seneca (friendship): Both are Stoic figures, with Cato representing the older, more austere tradition and Seneca the later, more practical one. With Scipio Nasica (friendship): Cato and Scipio Nasica were Roman…

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See Cato in section iii of self command

Character Web

6 connections

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Relationship types

Friendship
Psychological
Other

Character groups

Classical and Modern Moral Exemplars
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage marks the dramatic climax because it crystallizes the core psychological crisis: the tension betw…

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Relationships

Seneca
friendship · positive
Both are Stoic figures, with Cato representing the older, more austere tradition and… How this plays out →
Scipio Nasica
friendship · positive
Turenne
psychological · positive

Relationship notes

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See Cato in section iii of self command

In the story

Cato appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I: That Though Our Sympathy with Sorrow Is Generally a More Lively Sensation Than Our Sympathy with Joy, It Commonly Falls Much More Short of the Violence of What Is Naturally Felt by the Person Principally Concerned
Cited as an example of heroic magnanimity; his composure in the face of suicide is admired by spectators.
II: Of the Order in Which Societies Are by Nature Recommended to Our Beneficence
Cato the Elder is cited for his repeated declaration that 'Carthage ought to be destroyed,' exemplifying a savage patriotism rooted in national prejudice.
Of Those Systems Which Deduce the Principle of Approbation from Self-Love
Used as an example of a virtuous character from a remote age, whose virtue is applauded without any direct benefit to the observer.

Chapter companion notes

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See Cato in section iii of self command