The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

LIVES OF EMINENT PHILOSOPHERS.

itself with the world and the things in it; Ethical philosophy with life and the things that concern us; and Dialectics are concerned with the arguments by which both the others are supported.

Natural philosophy prevailed until the time of Archelaus, but after the time of Socrates, Ethical philosophy became predominant, and after the time of Zeno the Eleatic, Dialectic philosophy gained the upper hand.

Ethical philosophy was subdivided into ten sects: the Academic, the Cyrenaic, the Elian, the Megaric, the Cynic, the Eretrian, the Dialectic, the Peripatetic, the Stoic, and the Epicurean. Of the Old Academic school, Plato was the president; of the Middle, Arcesilaus; and of the New, Lacydes. The Cyrenaic school was founded by Aristippus the Cyrenian; the Elian by Phædo of Elis; the Megaric by Euclid of Megara; the Cynic by Antisthenes the Athenian; the Eretrian by Menedemus of Eretria; the Dialectic by Clitomachus the Carthaginian; the Peripatetic by Aristotle the Stagirite; the Stoic by Zeno the Cittiæan; and the Epicurean school derives its name from Epicurus, its founder.

However, Hippobotus, in his Treatise on Sects, says that there are nine sects and schools: first, the Megaric; secondly, the Eretrian; thirdly, the Cyrenaic; fourthly, the Epicurean; fifthly, the Annicerean; sixthly, the Theodorean; seventhly, the sect of Zeno and the Stoics; eighthly, that of the Old Academy; and ninthly, the Peripatetic—not counting the Cynic, the Eliac, or the Dialectic school. The school called the Pyrrhonean is also rejected by many writers due to the obscurity of its principles. Others, however, consider that in some particulars it is a distinct sect, and in others not. It does appear to be a sect, for what we call a sect is one which follows—or appears to follow—a principle that seems to be the true one; on which principle we correctly call the Sceptics a sect. But if by "sect" we understand those who incline to rules consistent with the principles they profess, then the Pyrrhonean cannot be called a sect, for they have no rules or principles.

These, then, are the beginnings, the successive masters, the divisions, and the schools of philosophy.

XIV. Moreover, it is not long ago that a new Eclectic...