Miscellanies 6.11.91
Summary: Learning serves philosophy and philosophy serves truth; the soul must be prepared like wool for weaving, and for the sake of others the teacher needs both general education and the Scriptures, especially with hearers from Greek schools.
Greek text · Stählin 2:477–478
Συνεργὰ τοίνυν φιλοσοφίας τὰ μαθήματα καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ φιλοσοφία εἰς τὸ περὶ ἀληθείας διαλαβεῖν. αὐτίκα ἡ χλαμὺς πόκος ἦν τὸ πρῶτον, εἶτα ἐξάνθη κρόκη τε ἐγένετο καὶ στήμων, καὶ τότε ὑφάνθη. προπαρασκευασθῆναι τοίνυν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ποικίλως ἐργασθῆναι χρή, εἰ μέλλοι ἀρίστη κατασκευάζεσθαι, ἐπεὶ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ μέν ἐστι γνωστικόν, τὸ δὲ ποιητικόν, ἐρρύηκεν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ, δεῖται δὲ ἀσκήσεως καὶ συγγυμνασίας πολλῆς καὶ ἐμπειρίας. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ τὸ μέν τί ἐστι πρὸς τοὺς πέλας, τὸ δὲ ὡς πρὸς αὐτόν. διόπερ καὶ τὴν παιδείαν οὕτως χρὴ συνεσκευάσθαι, ὥστε ἀμφοτέροις ἐνηρμόσθαι. ἔνεστι μὲν οὖν αὐτάρκως τὰ συνεκτικὰ τῶν πρὸς γνῶσιν φερόντων ἐκμαθόντα ἐφʼ ἡσυχίας τοῦ λοιποῦ μένειν ἀναπεπαυμένον, κατευθύνοντα τὰς πράξεις πρὸς τὴν θεωρίαν· διὰ δὲ τὴν τῶν πέλας ὠφέλειαν τῶν μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν ἱεμένων, τῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ παραδιδόναι στελλομένων τὸν λόγον ἥ τε ἄλλη παιδεία χρήσιμος ἥ τε τῶν γραφῶν τῶν κυριακῶν ἀνάγνωσις εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τῶν λεγομένων ἀναγκαία, καὶ μάλιστα, ἐὰν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἀνάγωνται παιδείας οἱ ἐπαΐοντες.
English · Claude translation
The branches of learning, then, are helpers of philosophy, and philosophy itself is a helper toward treating of the truth. For example, the cloak was at first a fleece; then it was carded and became woof and warp, and then it was woven. So the soul must be prepared beforehand and worked in various ways if it is to be made excellent. For one part of truth concerns knowing and another doing; the latter has flowed from the contemplative part, but it needs practice, much exercise, and experience. And of the contemplative part, too, one side is directed toward one's neighbors and another toward oneself. Therefore education must also be so arranged as to be fitted to both. It is possible, then, for one who has thoroughly learned the essentials of what leads to knowledge to remain thereafter at rest in quiet, directing his actions toward contemplation. But for the benefit of neighbors, some of whom are eager to write and others set on handing on the word, both general education is useful and the reading of the Lord's Scriptures is necessary for the demonstration of what is said, especially if the hearers come up from Greek education.
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Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.11.91 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/11/91/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.11.91 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/11/91/).
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