The Lovers

THE ARGUMENT OF MARSILIO FICINO.

The sum of this dialogue is to define what the philosopher is and what his office is. The duty of the philosopher is to know divine things and to govern human ones; in the former, contemplative philosophy is contained, and in the latter, active philosophy. Therefore, the philosopher first contemplates the divine, that is, the absolute nature of the Good itself, through wisdom. Then, directing human operations toward this Good as an end, he governs human affairs. This governance, however, requires two things. First, that he should know what human nature is and in what way it may be led to the Good and removed from evil; the philosopher does this, indeed, through prudence. Second, that he should so institute the affections and acts of men, so tempering and restraining them, that they may easily tend toward the Good which wisdom itself had found and toward which prudence had then directed them. This is indeed effected through the moral virtues, which Plato encompasses under the single name of justice. And from these two, the governance of human affairs consists. It is the business of the same man to know how to govern one human being, a family, and a commonwealth correctly. Wherefore, he who is moral would also be a capable master, statesman, and king. From these, it is concluded that all these things are contained in the office of the philosopher himself: wisdom, prudence, justice, and moral, domestic, civil, and royal discipline. Through wisdom he knows divine things, through prudence and justice he governs human affairs while administering his own business, his household, and the state. Such is the office of philosophy itself, which Plato explains more broadly in the books on the Republic, and signifies more briefly here. And first, he refutes two opinions of others concerning the office of the philosopher. The first seems to have been that of Solon, or someone similar, saying that it is to learn as many things as possible; the second, that of the sophist Hippias, wanting philosophy to be an expertise in all arts. These having been refuted, he briefly hints at the opinion we have mentioned. Therefore, Socrates is depicted as having disputed these matters in the school of Dionysius, who taught the elements of grammar to Plato, before two disciples of Dionysius; then, he is depicted as reviewing what he had discussed in the school to a gathering of his own companions.