Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

...it. The Ethical part is divided into ten sects: the Academic, Cyrenaic, Eliac, Megaric, Cynic, Eretrian, Dialectical, Peripatetic, Stoic, and Epicurean. The leader of the Old Academy was Plato; of the Middle, Arcesilaus; of the New, Lacydes; of the Cyrenaic, Aristippus the Cyrenaean; of the Eliac, Phaedo the Elean; of the Megaric, Euclid the Megarian; of the Cynic, Antisthenes the Athenian; of the Eretrian, Menedemus the Eretrian; of the Dialectical, Clitomachus of Chalcedon; of the Peripatetic, Aristotle the Stagirite; of the Stoic, Zeno of Citium. Furthermore, the Epicurean was named after its founder himself. Moreover, Hippobotus, in his book On Sects, says there were nine sects and institutions. He places the Megaric in the first rank, the Eretrian second, the Cyrenaic third, the Epicurean fourth, the Annicrean fifth, the Theodorean sixth, the Zenonian seventh (the same as the Stoic), the old Academic eighth, and the Peripatetic ninth. He makes no mention of the Cynic, Eliac, or Dialectical sects. That which is called Pyrrhonian is rejected by many because of its obscurity. Many, however, say that it is in part a sect, and in part deny it. They say, finally, that it is called a sect, which follows, or seems to follow, some reasoning according to that which appears and is at hand. According to which, we shall not inappropriately call it the skeptic sect. But if we understand a sect as a name consisting of those dogmas which are consistent with themselves, it will no longer be called a sect, for it has no dogmas or decrees. These things we have said briefly about the beginnings, authors, parts, and sects of philosophy. Although not long ago a certain eclectic sect was invented by Potamo of Alexandria, who selected from each sect what pleased him. It seemed to him, as he confesses in his treatise, that the examination of truth is manifold. One from which judgment is made, that is, the principal [standard]; another through which it is made, that is, the most skillful and intimate [faculty]...