This chapter is about Cato whose moralizing style of life made him and those around him utterly miserable. His attitude was vanity, his manner self-righteous, and his dominant activity was to try to shore up the crumbling Roman Republic. His rigidity, refusal to compromise, and unfeeling moralism made him a precursor of a Kantian life that defeated his own purpose. The moral importance of self-knowledge and affection can be learnt here.
Keywords: moralism, vanity, self-righteousness, Cato, rigidity, unfeelingness,