Are the good things of the best part of us under our control or not? They are under our control. So is pleasure of the soul something we control? Yes, he said. But what should this pleasure depend on? On itself? That doesn't make sense. There must first be some actual substance or nature of good. When we get hold of it, then we'll have pleasure in the soul. He agreed with this too. So what should this pleasure of the soul depend on? If it depends on things of the soul, then we've found the substance of good.
And are the good things of the best within the power of the will or not within the power of the will? They are within the power of the will. Is then the pleasure of the soul a thing within the power of the will? It is, he replied. And on what shall this pleasure depend? On itself? But that cannot be conceived; for there must first exist a certain substance or nature ([Greek: ousia]) of good, by obtaining which we shall have pleasure in the soul. He assented to this also. On what then shall we depend for this pleasure of the soul? for if it shall depend on things of the soul, the substance (nature) of the good is discovered;