Miscellanies 6.17.153
Summary: Philosophy was given by providence as a preparation for Christ, provided it learns from Scripture; if God counts hairs, he cares for philosophy too, as Samson's strength in his hair and the ointment running to the hem of Aaron's robe show.
Greek text · Stählin 2:510–511
ὥστʼ οὐκ ἄτοπον καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐκ τῆς θείας προνοίας δεδόσθαι προπαιδεύουσαν εἰς τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ τελείωσιν, ἢν μὴ ἐπαισχύνηται γνώσει βαρβάρῳ μαθητεύουσα φιλοσοφία προκόπτειν εἰς ἀλήθειαν. ἀλλʼ αἱ μὲν τρίχες ἠρίθμηνται καὶ τὰ εὐτελῆ κινήματα, φιλοσοφία δὲ πῶς οὐκ ἐν λόγῳ; καίτοι καὶ τῷ Σαμψὼν ἐν ταῖς θριξὶν ἡ δύναμις ἐδόθη, ἵνα καὶ τὰς ἀποβλήτους τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τέχνας, τὰς κειμένας καὶ μενούσας μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον τῆς ψυχῆς χαμαί, μὴ ἄνευ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἐννοήσῃ δίδοσθαι. αὐτίκα, φησίν, ἡ πρόνοια ἄνωθεν ἐκ τῶν προηγουμένων καθάπερ κεφαλῆς εἰς πάντας διήκει, ὡς τὸ μύρον, φησί, τὸ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ τὸν πώγωνα τὸν Ἀαρὼν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ᾤαν τοῦ ἐνδύματος αὐτοῦ (τουτέστι τοῦ μεγάλου ἀρχιερέως, διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν), οὐκ εἰς τὸν τοῦ σώματος κόσμον, ἔξωθεν δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ φιλοσοφία καθάπερ ἐσθής.
English · Claude translation
So it is not absurd that philosophy too was given by divine providence as a preparatory training for the perfection that comes through Christ, if philosophy is not ashamed to become a disciple of barbarian knowledge and so advance toward truth. The hairs are numbered, and trivial movements too; how then is philosophy not taken into account? Indeed, to Samson too strength was given in his hair, so that he might understand that even the despised arts of life, which lie on the ground and remain there after the soul's departure, are not given without the divine power. For, it says, providence reaches all from above, from the things that lead, as from the head, “like the ointment,” it says, “that goes down on the beard of Aaron and on the border of his garment” (that is, of the great high priest, through whom all things came to be and without whom not one thing came to be); not onto the adornment of the body; but outside the people philosophy is like a garment.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions and quotations are Matt 10:30, Judg 16:17, Ps 133:2 (132:2 LXX), John 1:3, and Heb 4:14. The source of “providence reaches all from above” (“it says”) is unidentified. The last clause is compressed: philosophy is the outer garment, belonging to those outside God's people.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text): φησί. τὸ καταβαῖνον → φησί, τὸ καταβαῖνον.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.17.153 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/17/153/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.17.153 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/17/153/).
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