The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

INTRODUCTION.

Aristotle was the pupil of Plato, Theophrastus the pupil of Aristotle; and in this way the Ionian school comes to an end.

Now the Italian school was carried on in this way. Pythagoras was the pupil of Pherecydes; his pupil was Telauges his son; he was the master of Xenophanes, and he of Parmenides; Parmenides of Zeno the Eleatic, he of Leucippus, he of Democritus. Democritus had many disciples, the most eminent of whom were Nausiphanes and Nausicydes, and they were the masters of Epicurus.

XI. Now, of philosophers, some were dogmatic, and others were inclined to suspend their opinions. By "dogmatic," I mean those who explain their opinions about matters as if they could be comprehended. By those who "suspend their opinions," I mean those who give no positive judgment, thinking that these things cannot be comprehended. The former class have left many memorials of themselves, but the others have never written a line—for instance, according to some, Socrates, Stilpo, Philippus, Menedemus, Pyrrho, Theodorus, Carneades, and Bryson; and, as some say, Pythagoras and Aristo of Chios, though he did write a few letters. Some men have written only one work, such as Melissus, Parmenides, and Anaxagoras; but Zeno wrote many works, Xenophanes still more, Democritus more, Aristotle more, Epicurus more, and Chrysippus more.

XII. Again, some philosophers derived a surname from cities, such as the Elians, the Megaric sect, the Eretrians, and the Cyrenaics. Some were named from the places they frequented, such as the Academics and Stoics. Some were named from accidental circumstances, such as the Peripatetics Meaning "those who walk about," from their habit of lecturing while walking., or from jests, such as the Cynics Meaning "dog-like.". Some again were named from their dispositions, such as the Eudæmonics Meaning those who prioritize happiness (eudaimonia).; some from an opinion, such as the Elenctic Those focused on refutation (elenchus). and Analogical schools. Some were named from their masters, such as the Socratic and Epicurean philosophers, and so on. The "Natural Philosophers" were so called from their study of nature; the "Ethical" philosophers from their investigation of questions of morals (Greek: περὶ τὰ ἤθη). The Dialecticians are those who devote themselves to quibbling on words.

XIII. There are three divisions of philosophy: Natural, Ethical, and Dialectic. Natural philosophy occupies...