GALEN’S METHOD OF HEALING

BOOK I.

I hesitated to write in vain, as almost no one today, to speak plainly, is devoted to the truth. Instead, people are so obsessed with money, political power, and the endless enjoyment of pleasures that they consider anyone practicing any kind of wisdom sophia: the Greek term for wisdom or deep knowledge to be insane. They do not believe that the primary and true wisdom, which is the knowledge of both divine and human matters, exists at all. While they assume that medicine, geometry, rhetoric, arithmetic, and music [2] and all such arts exist, they certainly do not think it is right to pursue the ultimate goals of these crafts. Even some of those who seem to love me have often criticized me for being devoted to the truth beyond what is moderate. They claim I will be useful neither to myself nor to them throughout my life unless I give up some of this intense devotion to the truth. They suggest I should go about greeting people in the morning and dine in the evening with the powerful. They believe that craftsmen are loved, brought into favor, and trusted because of these social habits rather than because of their own professional preparation. For they say there are no longer any people capable of judging skill.

I feared I would be writing in vain, since no man in our time, to speak in a word, is dedicated to the search for truth. Instead, everyone looks up to money, civil power, and the insatiable delights of pleasure to such an extent that if someone pursues any study of wisdom sapientia: the Latin term for wisdom, equivalent to the Greek "sophia", they hold him for a madman. They do not even think that first and true wisdom, which is the science of divine and human things, exists at all. They might believe that medicine, geometry, rhetoric, arithmetic, music, and all arts of that kind exist, but they certainly do not think the end The "end" or "finis" refers to the ultimate goal or perfection of a craft, such as health in medicine. of these arts should be pursued with any diligence. Indeed, some of those who seemed to love me uniquely have often scolded me because I am addicted to the study of truth more than is right. They say I will be of no use to myself or to them in my whole life unless I desist from this great study of investigating the truth. They tell me I should go about in the morning giving greetings and dine in the evening with the powerful. For they believe that through these social arts one is loved, goodwill is won, and craftsmen are esteemed. It is not, they say, from one's own profession, for there are no longer any who can judge it.