Critical History of Philosophy

the advantages of human society are promoted, the name of wisdom passed by its own right to the learned, and designated the entire encyclopedia of its time, in which sense St. Luke ^c intimates that Moses, a divine man, was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And since, among all disciplines, the more divine science, which directs the worship of God, gives precepts concerning the Deity, and forms the mind to revere Him holily, stands out by reason of the excellence of its object just as cypresses are accustomed to stand out among pliant osiers, from this the name of wisdom was transferred to theologians and priests in a more eminent sense; and this occurred especially among barbarous peoples, among whom the history of barbarian philosophy will prove to us that priests, as interpreters of divine worship, were celebrated by the name of wise men, and the sacred pages themselves are witnesses, bestowing the title of wise men upon the priests of the Chaldeans. ^e There were, however, among these men many unworthy of the name of wise, because they sought for more divine truth not from solid principles, but either drew it from the streams of a most corrupt tradition, or, being intent upon deceiving the common people, offered up the dreams of their own genius, concocted in place of a full system of wisdom, to secure for themselves honor, authority, and wealth; whence the crowd of priests was early on suspect to and deserving of hatred from men of weight and discernment. And hence impulses were added to sublime minds, so that by deeper meditation they might inquire into the truth, and, having deserted the impure pools of ancestral tradition, might consult the fountains of reason, recalling all things to certain principles of science, and thus building a system of wisdom constructed upon its own foundations. Since this method of cultivating all truth, especially that which relates to God and men, is the most noble, it finally claimed the name of wisdom in its proper signification, and decorated its followers with the name of wise men. Just as this was done in the most ancient times, so that he who had learned this truth by accurate meditation applied it to amending the morals of men and forming the mind; so the name of wisdom finally signified the practical science of truth, both divine and human, ^f and everything was related to it which either presents God and what is divine to the human intellect to be known, or is apt to contribute something to the procuring and increasing of the happiness of the human mind. ^g This wisdom, however, in order to attain its goal, was of such a nature that it was to be taught to others also for the sake of the human race; while the wise applied themselves to this duty of teaching, this name was transferred to the teachers of the sciences. ^h From there, however, a new signification of the word arose once more:

c) Acts VII, 21. cf. SUIDAS T. II. v. ἰδιώτης p. 97. where ἰδιώτης and Φιλόσοφος are opposed to each other, so also in ISOCRATES in Panegyr. p. 115. ed. H. Wolf.
d) Cf. STRABO L. XV. p. 501. CURTIUS L. V. c. 1. v. 22. and DIOG. LAERT. L. I. s. 1. 2., who discourses brilliantly concerning the wise men among the barbarians.
e) DANIEL II, 2. cf. STANLEY Hist. Phil. P. XIV. c. 7. 10. p. 1119. 1121.

f) PLATO discourses elegantly on this matter in the Theaetetus, p. m. 111. seq. add EPICTETUS, diss. L. II. c. 14. p. m. 194. ed. H. Wolf. L. III. c. 26. SENECA ep. 20. 108. ANTONIN. L. X. §. 16. and GATAKER on this passage.
g) Wisdom is, as it has been defined by the ancient philosophers, the science of divine and human things and the causes by which these are contained. CICERO de offic. L. II. c. 2.
h) See ISOCRATES de permut. p. 818.