Declamation of the Philosopher, Physician, and Orator

The gloom that dulls the mind. Ethics. Moral.

...what the material of the universe is, what God is, whether he turns entirely into himself, whether he looks back at us sometimes, whether he does something daily, whether he made it once, whether he is part of the world or the world, whether he is the soul of the world or rather its maker and fashioner, whether it is permitted to him to derogate anything from the law of the Fates, or whether it is a diminution of majesty and a confession of error to have changed what was made. Against these things, no matter has better dissipated that thickest mist of darkness which, as two of the most famous poets have produced, dulls the vision of mortals and covers the mind with an outstretched veil of ignorance. What, furthermore, is more useful than that other part of philosophy which is called partly ethical and partly moral? It looks most to men; it teaches what should be done on earth.

Philosopher: a student of wisdom.

And it discusses our errors. It has given birth to cities, called scattered men into the society of life, and instituted well-mannered republics. Hence, not undeservedly, the followers of philosophy are everywhere among nations called "philosophers" by name—a name, indeed, holy and religious—as if they were the only students of wisdom, who even before Pythagoras were both held to be and called sophi wise men, that is, wise.

Philosopher: a physician.

What, moreover, of the fact that the philosopher is a physician? Since philosophy, as the Arpinate orator Cicero says, is the medicine of souls—which Galen also testifies—and since the diseases of the soul are more pernicious and numerous than those of the body, the philosopher is undoubtedly more excellent, who healthfully applies medicine, remedies, and poultices to more serious diseases; he is, finally, as much more noble and useful than the physician of the body as the soul is more precious than the body.

Philosophy: the greater.

Philosopher: an orator.

Furthermore, the philosopher is an orator. For whence comes that power of speaking if not from the schools of philosophers? Whence the streams of eloquence if not derived from the fountains of philosophy? Add to this that dialectica logic/the art of disputation—that is, the disputatious or the art of disputing—belongs to the philosophers, which is almost the twin of rhetoric.

Dialectica: Disputatious.

The axiom of Zeno.

So much so that Zeno held that dialectic is like a hand closed into a fist, but rhetoric is like an open hand. What, by the immortal gods, could be more excellent or useful than this tripartite philosophy? Its one part scrutinizes the nature of things, the second composes the mind and morals, and the third demands the structure of words and arguments.

Philocalia: the twin of philosophy.

What, moreover, does the word "philosophy" itself signify other than love and the study of wisdom? What could be better than that? Its twin is philocalia love of beauty, which is interpreted as the love of beauty, as if beauty could not exist without philosophy. But to finish at once: the philosopher, that is, the wise man, is everything. And as that man says: he is one less than Jove, wealthy, free, honored, beautiful, and finally, the king of kings. Philosophers were held in such esteem and reverence among the ancients that the tyrant Dionysius sent a garlanded ship to meet Plato, the master of wisdom; and he himself received him on the shore as he was leaving, in a white chariot.