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| SOKRATES |
From Cicero, De officiis II, 5 and 6
What is, for the gods, more choice-worthy than wisdom; what more excellent, what better for man, what more noble? Those who pursue her are called philosophers; and philosophy, when translated, is nothing other than the study of wisdom. Yet, as defined by the ancient philosophers, wisdom is the knowledge of things divine and human and of the causes upon which they depend, the study of which a man despising I really do not know what he could consider praiseworthy.
For if you are seeking entertainment and freedom from cares, then what employment could compare to the constant examination of the matters that are aimed at a virtuous and blissful life and have an influence on it? Or if you have strength of character and virtue in mind, then this is either the science by which we can acquire them or there is none at all. If one were to argue that the important things are not the subject of an art, while even the most insignificant things are, he would be talking nonsense and in error, leaving the most important things out. But, if there is a school of virtue, where could one find it if one wishes to exclude this learning?
For if you are seeking entertainment and freedom from cares, then what employment could compare to the constant examination of the matters that are aimed at a virtuous and blissful life and have an influence on it? Or if you have strength of character and virtue in mind, then this is either the science by which we can acquire them or there is none at all. If one were to argue that the important things are not the subject of an art, while even the most insignificant things are, he would be talking nonsense and in error, leaving the most important things out. But, if there is a school of virtue, where could one find it if one wishes to exclude this learning?
Plinthos translation
Quid enim est, per deos, optabilius sapientia, quid praestantius, quid homini melius, quid homine dignius? Hanc igitur qui expetunt, philosophi nominantur, nec quicquam aliud est philosophia, si interpretari velis, praeter studium sapientiae. Sapientia autem est, ut a veteribus philosophis definitum est, rerum divinarum et humanarum causarumque, quibus eae res continentur, scientia, cuius studium qui vituperat haud sane intellego quidnam sit quod laudandum putet.
Nam sive oblectatio quaeritur animi requiesque curarum, quae conferri cum eorum studiis potest, qui semper aliquid anquirunt, quod spectet et valeat ad bene beateque vivendum? sive ratio constantiae virtutisque ducitur, aut haec ars est aut nulla omnino, per quam eas assequamur. Nullam dicere maximarum rerum artem esse, cum minimarum sine arte nulla sit, hominum est parum considerate loquentium atque in maximis rebus errantium. Si autem est aliqua disciplina virtutis, ubi ea quaeretur, cum ab hoc discendi genere discesseris.
Philosophisches Lesebuch, Ettlinger, Simon, Söhngen. Pustet: München, 1925, 5.
A brief history of philosophy reader which was probably used by Ratzinger in his first years of seminary. That quote is the first text of the book, with the bust of Socrates on the facing page!
Quid enim est, per deos, optabilius sapientia, quid praestantius, quid homini melius, quid homine dignius? Hanc igitur qui expetunt, philosophi nominantur, nec quicquam aliud est philosophia, si interpretari velis, praeter studium sapientiae. Sapientia autem est, ut a veteribus philosophis definitum est, rerum divinarum et humanarum causarumque, quibus eae res continentur, scientia, cuius studium qui vituperat haud sane intellego quidnam sit quod laudandum putet.
Nam sive oblectatio quaeritur animi requiesque curarum, quae conferri cum eorum studiis potest, qui semper aliquid anquirunt, quod spectet et valeat ad bene beateque vivendum? sive ratio constantiae virtutisque ducitur, aut haec ars est aut nulla omnino, per quam eas assequamur. Nullam dicere maximarum rerum artem esse, cum minimarum sine arte nulla sit, hominum est parum considerate loquentium atque in maximis rebus errantium. Si autem est aliqua disciplina virtutis, ubi ea quaeretur, cum ab hoc discendi genere discesseris.
Aus Cicero, De officiis II, 5 und 6.
Was gibt es erstrebenswerteres als die Wahrheit, was ist vorzüglicher, was für den Menschen besser, was menschenwürdiger? Die nach ihr streben, werden Philosophen genannt, und wenn man das Wort übersetzt, so bedeutet ja Philosophie nichts anderes als das Steben nach Weisheit. Die Weisheit aber ist nach der Begriffsbestimmung der alten Philosophen die Wissenschaft von den göttlichen und menschlichen Dingen und den Ursachen, auf denen diese beruhen; tadelt einer das Sehnen nach ihr, dann weiß ich wahrlich nicht, was er noch für lobenswert halten kann. Denn angenommen, man sucht geistige Unterhaltung und Erholung von den Sorgen, was läßt sich dann mit der Beschäftigung derer vergleichen, die immer Gegenstände untersuchen, die auf ein tugendhaftes und glückseliges Leben zielen und darauf Einfluß haben? Oder wenn man Charakterfestigkeit und Tugend im Auge hat, so ist dies entweder die Wissenschaft, durch die wir sie uns aneignen können oder es gibt überhaubt keine. Würde man behaupten, die wichtigsten Dinge seien nicht Gegenstand einer Wissenschaft, während selbst die unbedeutendsten Dinge es sind, so hieße das unüberlegt reden und in den wichtigsten Dingen einen Irrtum an den Tag legen. Gibt es aber eine Schule der Tugend, wo könnte man sie dann finden, wenn man von dieser Wissenschaft absehen will?
Philosophisches Lesebuch, Ettlinger, Simon, Söhngen. Pustet: München, 1925, 5.
A brief history of philosophy reader which was probably used by Ratzinger in his first years of seminary. That quote is the first text of the book, with the bust of Socrates on the facing page!
N.B. The great world superiority of the German genius for at least the past two centuries is due mainly to two things: 1) the Christian heritage (from which Europe cannot so far escape), coupled with 2) the training of its youth in the study of the ancient classics in the ancient tongues, viz. Latin and Greek.