Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Epitome of the Divine Institutes

Lactantius

Chapter 40

About this work

A condensed presentation of Lactantius’s apologetic project, summarizing his case against pagan worship and his account of divine providence, true religion, justice, and Christian hope.

Author: Lactantius
Date: Early 4th century
Origin: Nicomedia or Gaul
Genre: Apology

Chap. XL.—Of the Foolishness of the Philosophers.

There are innumerable sayings and doings of the

‹ Chapter 39 Chapter 41 ›

philosophers

,

by

which

their

foolishness

may

be

shown

.

Therefore

,

since

we

are

unable

to

enumerate

them

all

,

a

few

will

be

sufficient

.

It

is

enough

that

it

is

understood

that

the

philosophers

were

neither

teachers

of

justice

,

of

which

they

were

ignorant

,

nor

of

virtue

,

of

which

they

falsely

boast

.

For

what

can

they

teach

,

who

often

confess

their

own

ignorance

?

I

omit

to

mention

Socrates

,

whose

opinion

is

well

known

.

Anaxagoras

proclaims

that

all

things

are

over

-

spread

with

darkness

.

Empedocles

says

that

the

paths

for

finding

out

the

truth

of

the

senses

are

narrow

.

Democritus

asserts

that

truth

lies

sunk

in

a

deep

well

;

and

because

they

nowhere

find

it

,

they

therefore

affirm

that

no

wise

man

has

as

yet

existed

.

Since

,

therefore

,

human

wisdom

has

no

existence

(

Socrates

says

in

the

writings

of

Plato

)

,

let

us

follow

that

which

is

divine

,

and

let

us

give

thanks

to

God

,

who

has

revealed

and

delivered

it

to

us

;

and

let

us

congratulate

ourselves

,

that

through

the

divine

bounty

we

possess

the

truth

and

wisdom

,

which

,

though

sought

by

so

many

intellects

through

so

many

ages

,

philosophy

was

not

able

to

discover

.

Notes

1
Philosophia non potuit invenire. Other editions have, “philosophiam nemo potuit invenire.” [“The world by wisdom (σοφια) knew not God,” etc.; 1 Cor. i. 21.]