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Passages similar to: Secret Teachings of All Ages — Introduction
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Western Esoteric
Secret Teachings of All Ages
Introduction (17)
The Elean sect was founded by Phædo of Elis, a youth of noble family, who was bought from slavery at the instigation of Socrates and who became his devoted disciple. Plato so highly admired Phædo's mentality that he named one of the most famous of his discourses The Phædo. Phædo was succeeded in his school by Plisthenes, who in turn was followed by Menedemus. Of the doctrines of the Elean sect little is known. Menedemus is presumed to have been inclined toward the teachings of Stilpo and the Megarian sect. When Menedemus' opinions were demanded, he answered that he was free, thus intimating that most men were enslaved to their opinions. Menedemus was apparently of a somewhat belligerent temperament and often returned from his lectures in a badly bruised condition. The most famous of his propositions is stated thus: That which is not the same is different from that with which it is not the same. This point being admitted, Menedemus continued: To benefit is not the same as good, therefore good does not benefit. After the time of Menedemus the Elean sect became known as the Eretrian. Its exponents denounced all negative propositions and all complex and abstruse theories, declaring that only affirmative and simple doctrines could be true.
Christian Mysticism
Chapter XIV: Succession of Philosophers in Greece. (Succession of Philosophers in Greece.:6-7)
"From these turned aside, the stone-mason; Talker about laws; the enchanter of the Greeks," says Timon in his Satirical Poems, on account of his...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XIV: Succession of Philosophers in Greece. (4)
Then, next in order, the saying, "All men are bad," or, "The most of men are bad" (for the same apophthegm is expressed in two ways), Sotades the Byza...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XXI: Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good. (8)
In addition to these still, Diotimus declared the end to be perfection of what is good, which he said was termed well-being. Again, Antisthenes, that...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XIV: Succession of Philosophers in Greece. (10)
It has been said of Xenophanes that he was the founder of the Eleatic philosophy. And Eudemus, in the Astrological Histories, says that Thales...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XVII. (2)
And these things, indeed, O Hipparchus, you learnt with diligent assiduity, but you have not preserved them; having tasted, O excellent man, of Sicili...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XVIII. (4)
There was, however, a certain person named Hippomedon, an Ægean, a Pythagorean and one of the Acusmatici, who asserted that Pythagoras gave the...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XXXII. (7)
It is likewise said, that these men expelled lamentations and tears, and every thing else of this kind. They also abstained from entreaty, from...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter II: The Subject of Plagiarisms Resumed. the Greeks Plagiarized From One Another. (55)
From Pythagoras Plato derived the immortality of the soul; and he from the Egyptians. And many of the Platonists composed books, in which they show...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XIV: Succession of Philosophers in Greece. (2)
Accordingly to the Corinthians (for this is not the only instance), while discoursing on the resurrection of the dead, he makes use of a tragic...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XXXV. (9)
The kindred of the Pythagoreans however, were indignant that the Pythagoreans gave their right hand to those of their own sect alone, their parents...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XVII. (1)
As he therefore thus prepared his disciples for erudition, he did not immediately receive into the number of his associates those who came to him for...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XVIII. (1)
After this we must narrate how, when he had admitted certain persons to be his disciples, he distributed them into different classes according to...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XIV: Succession of Philosophers in Greece. (5)
Anaximander of Miletus, the son of Praxiades, succeeded Thales; and was himself succeeded by Anaximenes of Miletus, the son of Eurustratus; after...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XXXVI. (2)
And in Heraclea, indeed, were Clinias and Philolaus; but at Metapontum, Theorides and Eurytus; and at Tarentum Archytas. It is also said that Epicharm...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XVIII: The Use of Philosophy to the Gnostic. (18)
The philosophers, however, chose to [teach philosophy] to the Greeks alone, and not even to all of them; but Socrates to Plato, and Plato to...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter IX: Reasons for Veiling the Truth in Symbols. (5)
Further, those who instituted the mysteries, being philosophers, buried their doctrines in myths, so as not to be obvious to all. Did they then, by ve...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XXI: Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good. (7)
We must, however, not rest satisfied with these, but endeavour as we best can to adduce the doctrines laid down on the point by the naturalist; for...
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Neoplatonic
CHAP. XXXV. (1)
There were, however, certain persons who were hostile to these men, and rose against them. That stratagems therefore were employed to destroy them,...
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Christian Mysticism
Chapter XV: The Greek Philosophy in Great Part Derived From the Barbarians. (3)
Whence, writing in the Phoedo that the philosopher can receive aid from all sides, he said: "Great indeed is Greece, O Cebes, in which everywhere ther...
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