Chap. XXX.—Of False Wisdom.

I have taught, as I imagine, that the honours paid to gods are not only impious, but also vain, either because they were men whose memory was consecrated after death; or because the images themselves are insensible and deaf, inasmuch as they are formed of earth, and that it is not right for man, who ought to look up to heavenly things, to subject himself to earthly things; or because the spirits who claim to themselves those acts of religious service are unholy and impure, and on this account, being condemned by the sentence of God, fell to the earth, and that it is not lawful to submit to the power of those to whom you are superior, if you wish to be a follower of the true God. It remains that, as we have spoken of false religion, we should also discuss the subject of false wisdom, which the philosophers profess,—men endued with the greatest learning and eloquence, but far removed from the truth, because they neither know God nor the wisdom of God. And although they are clever and learned, yet, because their wisdom is human, I shall not fear to contend with them, that it may be evident that falsehood can be easily overcome by truth, and earthly things by heavenly.  

They thus define the nature of philosophy. Philosophy is the love or pursuit of wisdom. Therefore it is not wisdom itself; for that which loves must be different from that which is loved. If it is the pursuit of wisdom, not even thus is philosophy identical with wisdom. For wisdom is the object itself which is sought, but the pursuit is that which seeks it. Therefore the very definition or meaning of the word plainly shows that philosophy is not wisdom itself. I will say that it1472    Philosophy.   is not even the pursuit of wisdom, in which wisdom is not comprised. For who can be said to devote himself to the pursuit of that to which he can by no means attain? He who gives himself to the pursuit of medicine, or grammar, or oratory, may be said to be studious of that art which he is learning; but when he has learned, he is now said to be a physician, a grammarian, or an orator. Thus also those who are studious of wisdom, after they had learned it, ought to have been called wise. But since they are called students of wisdom as long as they live, it is manifest that that is not the pursuit, because it is impossible to arrive at the object itself which is sought for in the pursuit, unless by chance they who pursue wisdom even to the end of life are about to be wise in another world. Now every pursuit is connected with some end. That, therefore, is not a right pursuit which has no end.  

CAPUT XXX. (Div. Inst. lib. I, c. 18; III, c. 2 et 3.) De falsa sapientia.

Docui, ut opinor, cultus deorum non modo impios, sed etiam vanos esse; vel quod homines fuerint, quorum memoria post obitum consecrata sit; vel quod simulacra ipsa insensibilia et surda sint, quia sunt ficta de terra, nec oportere hominem qui debeat spectare coelestia, terrenis se subjugare; vel quod spiritus, qui eas religiones sibi vindicant, incesti et impuri sint, et ideo Dei sententia condemnati ceciderint in terram, nec fas esse in eorum ditionem 1038B venire, quibus potior sis, si Deum verum sequi velis. Superest ut, quoniam de falsa religione diximus, etiam de falsa sapientia disseramus; quam philosophi profitentur, homines summa quidem doctrina et eloquentia praediti, sed longe a veritate summoti, quia nec Deum, nec sapientiam Dei cognoverunt. Qui licet sint arguti ac diserti, tamen quia humana est eorum sapientia, etiam cum his congredi non verebor, ut appareat a veritate mendacium, a coelestibus terrena facile posse superari.

Quid sit Philosophia hoc modo definiunt: Philosophia est amor vel studium sapientiae. Non est ergo ipsa sapientia; quia necesse est aliud esse, quod amat, aliud, quod amatur. Si studium est sapientiae, ne sic quidem philosophia sapientia est. Sapientia 1038C enim res est ipsa, quae quaeritur; studium vero, quod quaerit. Ipsa igitur definitio, vel nominis significatio, declarat philosophiam non esse ipsam sapientiam; dicam ne studium quidem esse sapientiae, quo sapientia non comprehenditur. Quis enim studere dicatur ei rei, quam nullo modo possit attingere? Qui medicinae, aut grammaticae, aut oratoriae 1039A studet, studiosus ejus artis, quam discit, dici potest: ubi didicit, jam Medicus, jam Grammaticus, jam Orator dicitur. Sic oportuit et studiosos sapientiae, postquam didicissent, sapientes nominari. Cum autem studiosi sapientiae, quamdiu vivant, 1039A vocentur, apparet illud studium non esse, quod ad ipsam rem, quae studio petitur, non potest perveniri; nisi forte qui ad finem usque vitae, ut sapiant, student, apud inferos sapientes erunt. Omni autem studio subjacet finis. Non est igitur id studium rectum, quod non habet finem.