Chap. XXV.—Of Learning Philosophy, and What Great Qualifications are Necessary for Its Pursuit.

We must now speak a few things concerning philosophy in general, that having strengthened our cause we may conclude. That greatest imitator of Plato among our writers thought that philosophy was not for the multitude, because none but learned men could attain to it. “Philosophy,” says Cicero,451    Tusc., ii. 1.   “is contented with a few judges, of its own accord designedly avoiding the multitude.” It is not therefore wisdom, if it avoids the concourse of men; since, if wisdom is given to man, it is given to all without any distinction, so that there is no one at all who cannot acquire it. But they so embrace virtue, which is given to the human race, that they alone of all appear to wish to enjoy that which is a public good; being as envious as if they should wish to bind or tear out the eyes of others that they may not see the sun. For what else is it to deny wisdom to men, than to take away from their minds the true and divine light? But if the nature of man is capable of wisdom, it was befitting that both workmen, and country people, and women, and all, in short, who bear the human form, should be taught to be wise; and that the people should be brought together from every language, and condition, and sex, and age. Therefore it is a very strong argument that philosophy neither tends to wisdom, nor is of itself wisdom, that its mystery is only made known by the beard and cloak of the philosophers.452    A long beard and cloak were the badges of the philosophers. [See vol. ii. p. 321, note 9.]   The Stoics, moreover, perceived this, who said that philosophy was to be studied both by slaves and women; Epicurus also, who invites those who are altogether unacquainted with letters to philosophy; and Plato also, who wished to compose a state of wise men.  

They attempted, indeed, to do that which truth required; but they were unable to proceed beyond words. First, because instruction in many arts is necessary for an application to philosophy. Common learning must be acquired on account of practice in reading, because in so great a variety of subjects it is impossible that all things should be learned by hearing, or retained in the memory. No little attention also must be given to the grammarians, in order that you may know the right method of speaking. That must occupy many years. Nor must there be ignorance of rhetoric, that you may be able to utter and express the things which you have learned. Geometry also, and music, and astronomy, are necessary, because these arts have some connection with philosophy; and the whole of these subjects cannot be learned by women, who must learn within the years of their maturity the duties which are hereafter about to be of service to them for domestic uses; nor by servants, who must live in service during those years especially in which they are able to learn; nor by the poor, or labourers, or rustics, who have to gain their daily support by labour. And on this account Tully says that philosophy is averse from the multitude. But yet Epicurus will receive the ignorant.453    [Platonic philosophy being addressed to the mind, and the Epicurean to lusts and passions.]   How, then, will they understand those things which are said respecting the first principles of things, the perplexities and intricacies of which are scarcely attained to by men of cultivated minds?  

Therefore, in subjects which are involved in obscurity, and confused by a variety of intellects, and set off by the studied language of eloquent men, what place is there for the unskilful and ignorant? Lastly, they never taught any women to study philosophy, except Themiste454    Themiste is said to have been the wife of Leontius; Epicurus is reported to have written to her. Themistoclea, the sister of Pythagoras, is mentioned as a student of philosophy; besides many other women in different ages.   only, within the whole memory of man; nor slaves, except Phædo455    Plato dedicated to Phædo his treatise on the immortality of the soul: according to other accounts, Phædo was ransomed by Crito or Alcibiades at the suggestion of Socrates.   only, who is said, when living in oppressive slavery, to have been ransomed and taught by Cebes. They also enumerate Plato and Diogenes: these, however, were not slaves, though they had fallen into servitude, for they had been taken captive. A certain Aniceris is said to have ransomed Plato for eight sesterces. And on this account Seneca severely rebuked the ransomer himself, because he set so small value upon Plato. He was a madman, as it seems to me, who was angry with a man because he did not throw away much money; doubtless he ought to have weighed gold as though to ransom the corpse of Hector, or to have insisted upon the payment of more money than the seller demanded. Moreover, they taught none of the barbarians, with the single exception of Anacharsis the Scythian, who never would have dreamed of philosophy had he not previously learned both language and literature.  

CAPUT XXV. De addiscenda philosophia; et quanta ad ejus studium sint necessaria.

Nunc pauca nobis de philosophia in commune 0428B dicenda sunt, ut confirmata causa peroremus. Summus ille noster Platonis imitator existimavit philosophiam non esse vulgarem, quod eam non nisi docti homines assequi possint. «Est, inquit Cicero (lib. II Tusc., n^o 1), philosophia paucis contenta judicibus, multitudinem consulto ipsa fugiens.» Non est ergo sapientia, si ab hominum coetu abhorret: quoniam si sapientia homini data est, sine ullo discrimine omnibus data est, ut nemo sit prorsus, 0429A qui eam capere non possit. At illi virtutem humano generi datam sic amplexantur, ut soli omnium publico bono frui velle videantur, tam invidi, quam si velint deligare oculos 0429A aut effodere caeteris, ne solem videant. Nam quid est aliud hominibus negare sapientiam, quam mentibus eorum verum ac divinum lumen auferre? Quod si natura hominis sapientiae capax est, oportuit et opifices, et rusticos, et mulieres, et omnes denique, qui humanam formam gerunt, doceri, ut sapiant; populumque ex omni lingua, et conditione, et sexu, et aetate conflari. Maximum itaque argumentum est, philosophiam neque ad sapientiam tendere, neque ipsam esse sapientiam, quod mysterium ejus barba tantum celebratur et pallio. Senserunt hoc adeo Stoici, qui et servis, et mulieribus philosophandum esse dixerunt; 0429B Epicurus quoque, qui rudes omnium litterarum ad philosophiam invitat; item Plato, qui civitatem de sapientibus voluit componere.

Conati quidem illi sunt facere, quod veritas exigebat: sed non potuit ultra verba procedi. Primum, quia multis artibus opus est, ut ad philosophiam possit accedi. Discendae istae communes litterae propter usum legendi, quia in tanta rerum varietate, nec disci audiendo possunt omnia, nec memoria 0429C contineri. Grammaticis quoque non parum operae 0430A dandum est, ut rectam loquendi rationem scias. Id multos annos auferat necesse est. Nec oratoria quidem ignoranda est; ut ea, quae didiceris, proferre atque eloqui possis. Geometria quoque, ac musica, et astrologia necessaria est, quod hae artes cum philosophia habent aliquam societatem: quae universa perdiscere neque foeminae possunt, quibus intra puberes annos officia mox usibus domesticis profutura discenda sunt neque servi, quibus per eos annos vel maxime serviendum est, quibus possunt discere; neque pauperes, aut opifices, aut rustici, quibus in diem victus labore est quaerendus. Ob eam causam Tullius ait abhorrere a multitudine philosophiam. At enim rudes Epicurus accipiet. Quomodo ergo illa, quae de principiis rerum dicuntur, intelligunt, quae perplexa et involuta vix etiam politi homines 0430B assequuntur?

In rebus igitur obscuritate implicitis, et ingeniorum varietate confusis, et eloquentium virorum exquisito sermone fucatis, quis imperito ac rudi locus est? Denique nullas unquam mulieres philosophari docuerunt, praeter unam ex omni memoria Themisten; neque servos, praeter unum Phaedonem, quem male servientem redemisse ac docuisse Cebetem tradunt. Enumerant etiam Platonem, ac Diogenem; 0430C qui tamen servi non fuerunt: sed his servitus evenerat; 0431A sunt enim capti. Platonem quidem redemisse Anniceris quidam 0431A traditur sestertiis octo. Itaque insectatus est conviciis hunc ipsum redemptorem Seneca, quod parvo Platonem aestimaverit. Furiosus, ut mihi videtur, qui homini fuerit iratus, quod non multam pecuniam perdidit: scilicet aurum appendere debuit, tamquam pro mortuo Hectore, aut tantum ingerere nummorum, quantum venditor non poposcit. Ex Barbaris vero nullum, praeter unum Anacharsim Scytham, qui philosophiam ne somniasset quidem, nisi et linguam, et litteras ante didicisset.