The Divine Institutes: Book III. Of the False Wisdom of the Philosophers
by Lactantius
A review of the philosophic schools and where their search for wisdom stopped short.
Chap. I.—A comparison of the truth with eloquence: why the philosophers did not attain to it. Of the simple style of the scripturesChap. II.—Of philosophy, and how vain was its occupation in setting forth the truthChap. III.—Of what subjects philosophy consists, and who was the chief founder of the academic sectChap. IV.—That knowledge is taken away by Socrates, and conjecture by ZenoChap. V.—That the knowledge of many things is necessaryChap. VI.—Of wisdom, and the academics, and natural philosophyChap. VII.—Of moral philosophy, and the chief goodChap. VIII.—Of the chief good, and the pleasures of the soul and body, and of virtueChap. IX.—Of the chief good, and the worship of the true God, and a refutation of AnaxagorasChap. X.—It is the peculiar property of man to know and worship GodChap. XI.—Of religion, wisdom, and the chief goodChap. XII.—Of the twofold conflict of body and soul; and of desiring virtue on account of eternal lifeChap. XIII.—Of the immortality of the soul, and of wisdom, philosophy, and eloquenceChap. XIV.—That Lucretius and others have erred, and Cicero himself, in fixing the origin of wisdomChap. XV.—The error of Seneca in philosophy, and how the speech of philosophers is at variance with their lifeChap. XVI.—That the philosophers who give good instructions live badly, by the testimony of Cicero; therefore we should not so much devote ourselves to the study of philosophy as to wisdomChap. XVII.—He passes from philosophy to the philosophers, beginning with Epicurus; and how he regarded Leucippus and Democritus as authors of errorChap. XVIII.—The Pythagoreans and Stoics, while they hold the immortality of the soul, foolishly persuade a voluntary deathChap. XIX.—Cicero and others of the wisest men teach the immortality of the soul, but in an unbelieving manner; and that a good or an evil death must be weighed from the previous lifeChap. XX.—Socrates had more knowledge in philosophy than other men, although in many things he acted foolishlyChap. XXI.—Of the system of Plato, which would lead to the overthrow of statesChap. XXII.—Of the precepts of Plato, and censures of the sameChap. XXIII.—Of the errors of certain philosophers, and of the sun and moonChap. XXIV.—Of the antipodes, the heaven, and the starsChap. XXV.—Of learning philosophy, and what great qualifications are necessary for its pursuitChap. XXVI.—It is divine instruction only which bestows wisdom; and of what efficacy the law of God isChap. XXVII.—How little the precepts of philosophers contribute to true wisdom, which you will find in religion onlyChap. XXVIII.—Of true religion and of nature. whether fortune is a goddess, and of philosophyChap. XXIX.—Of fortune again, and virtueChap. XXX.—The conclusion of the things before spoken; and by what means we must pass from the vanity of the philosophers to true wisdom, and the knowledge of the true god, in which alone are virtue and happiness