Didascalicon, Book II: the sciences, their parts and their discipline
Chapter I. On the distinction of the arts
“Philosophy is the love of wisdom, which, needing nothing, is the living mind and the sole primeval reason of things.” This definition looks rather to the etymology of the name. For philos in Greek is called love in Latin, sophia wisdom; and hence philosophy is so called, that is, love of wisdom. As to what is added, “which, needing nothing, is the living mind and the sole primeval reason of things,” divine wisdom is signified, which is said to need nothing for this reason: that it lacks nothing, but beholds all things, past, present and future, once and at once. It is called the living mind because what is once done in the divine reason is never blotted out by any forgetfulness. It is the primeval reason of things because all things were formed to its likeness. Some say that that from which the arts proceed always remains. This, then, is what all the arts do, this is what they aim at: that the divine likeness be restored in us, which for us is form, for God nature; the more we are conformed to it, the more we are wise. For then there begins to shine again in us what was always in his reason; which, because it passes in us, stands unchangeable with him. Otherwise: “Philosophy is the art of arts and the discipline of disciplines,” that is, that to which all arts and disciplines look. Art may be called the knowledge which consists in the precepts and rules of art, as in Scripture; discipline, that which is called full, as in doctrine. Or it may be called art when something probable and matter of opinion is treated; discipline, when something is set forth by true disputations concerning things that cannot be otherwise. This difference Plato and Aristotle wished to hold between art and discipline. Or art may be said of what is done on a subject matter and is unfolded by operation, as architecture; discipline, of what consists in speculation and is unfolded by reasoning alone, as logic. Otherwise: “Philosophy is the meditation of death”; which is more suitable to Christians, who, having trampled on the ambition of the world, live by a disciplined way of life in the likeness of the future fatherland. Otherwise: “Philosophy is the discipline that probably investigates the reasons of all things divine and human.” Thus the principle of all studies looks to philosophy. The administration is not all philosophy; and so philosophy in some way seems to pertain to all things.