Quid sit uere philosophari ; et ad quem finem
The Boundless Love of God
True philosophy is defined as the love of God, which is the only pursuit that must remain without limit.
The intention of all Scripture should be directed toward this. This, in truth, is what it means to philosophize, and this is the most joyful and wholesome fruit of much reading. For it contains the discipline of all things, and as the guide of all, it establishes the measure and limits for every act, word, and thought of human life. Yet there is that for which it knows no limit to set; there is that for which it prescribes a measure so that it may have no measure. Whatever one does or says tends toward that which, for those who truly philosophize, has no limit; for its very substance consists in being entirely unlimited. If, as Plato says, a philosopher is a lover of God, what else is philosophy but the love of the Divine? This is surely what does not wish to be limited, lest it—which would be unprofitable—be brought to an end. For what is finished ceases to be; and if the love of God is extinguished, the very name of philosophy vanishes.
Charity as the Goal of Wisdom
All scripture and doctrine are directed toward the increase of charity, which serves as the true measure of a philosopher.
In the same way, the incarnate Wisdom of God, while setting limits for many things, commands that God be loved without limit; unless it is that this limit is prescribed for charity so that God may be loved without any limit to that love. For the One who says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," also prefaced it by saying, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." He also added: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." If, therefore, everything written in the prophets and the law serves this end—that is, if all doctrine aims at making a person subject to the law of God—who can doubt that everything should be referred to the kingdom of charity? Whoever acquires or increases in charity through the pursuit of wisdom has attained the true goal of the philosopher. This, then, is the true and unchanging rule for those who seek wisdom: in all reading or learning, in all doing or leaving undone, each person should conduct themselves in such a way that they make progress in charity. Charity itself is never empty or alone; rather, it brings into the very person it consecrates to piety—as if into a temple of the Lord—honesty, modesty combined with sobriety, purity, and a whole company of other venerable virtues. Whatever in the arts or in any writings whatsoever leads elsewhere is not the teaching of true philosophy, but empty fables and the inventions of those upon whose impiety the wrath of God is revealed from heaven.
The Discernment of True Philosophy
True philosophy is found not in mere intellectual chatter, but in the active practice of the virtues taught by God's law.
Whatever they chatter about, to someone who is truly philosophizing, it seems inept, insipid, and tasteless. Don't listen to me, but to the prophet who says of such people: "The wicked have told me fables, but not as your law does." Speaking what is true and just is common to both those who philosophize and those who don't. Speaking of true and false things, or teaching what is good and what is evil, isn't the mark of those who truly philosophize. But a vain imitator of philosophy may sometimes teach what is right; yet the one who follows the right things he teaches is the true philosopher.
Read the original Latin
omnium scripturarum uergat intentio. Hoc autem reuera philosophari est, et hic est multae lectionis iocundissimus et saluberrimus fructus. Ipsa siquidem rerum omnium continet disciplinam et omnium moderatrix uniuersis humanae uitae actibus et uerbis et cogitationibus modum et terminos ipsa constituit. Est tamen cui nec ipsa nouit terminum praefinire; est cui in eo praescribit modum ut non habeat modum. Quicquid agit aut loquitur, illuc tendit quod apud recte philosophantes non habet terminum; nam et eius substantia in eo consistit ut illud nequaquam terminetur. Si enim secundum Platonem philosophus amator Dei est, quid aliud est philosophia nisi diuinitatis amor? Hoc est utique quod terminari non uuit, ne et ipsa, quod non expedit, finiatur. Quod enim finitur, esse desinit; et, si amor Dei extinguitur, philosophiae nomen euanescit.
Sic et incarnata Dei Sapientia, cum multis praescribat modum, Deum sine modo praecipit diligendum; nisi quia caritati modus ille praescribitur ut Deus sine termino amoris diligatur. Qui enim ait: Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum, idem praemisit: Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, ex tota anima tua, ex tota mente tua et ex omnibus uiribus tuis. Idem quoque adiecit: In his duobus uerbis pendet tota lex et prophetae. Si ergo omnia quae scripta sunt prophetis famulantur et legi, id est, si omnis doctrina illuc tendit ut homo subiectus sit legi Dei, quis ambigit ad regnum caritatis uniuersa referri? Qui uero philosophando caritatem adquirit aut dilatat, suum philosophantis assecutus est finem. Haec est itaque uera et immutabilis philosophantium regula ut sic in omnibus legendis aut discendis, agendis aut omittendis quisque uersetur ut proficiat caritati. Ipsa uero numquam inanis aut sola est, sed honestatem, modestiam cum sobrietate, pudicitiam et aliarum uenerabilium uirtutum cetum in ipsum hominem quem pietati consecrat quasi in templum Domini introducit. Quicquid aliorsum uergit in artibus siue quibuscumque scripturis, non philosophiae dogmata sed inanes fabulae sunt et figmenta eorum super quorum impietatem ira Dei de celo reuelatur.
Quicquid illi garriant, recte philosophanti ineptum uidetur insipidum et insulsum. Audi non me sed prophetam dicentem de talibus: Narrauerunt michi iniqui fabulationes sed non ut lex tua. Loqui ergo uera et iusta philosophantibus et non philosophantibus commune est. Vera et falsa loqui, bona docere et mala non philosophantium est. Sed et recta dumtaxat interdum docet uanus philosophi imitator; sed qui recta quae docet sequitur, uere philosophus est.
Policraticus companion
Study the argument weekly; pray the tradition daily
Pair the outline with the Chosen Portion app, which serves short daily portions from the same royal devotional tradition — free on iOS.
John of Salisbury argued that rulers must keep the law of God before their eyes daily; Chosen Portion gives modern readers that same daily discipline in five minutes a morning.
- 8 weeks, one book per week, with the 3-4 key chapters flagged in each
- Discussion questions usable for a reading group from week one
- A daily 5-minute companion portion in the app alongside your weekly study