1001Philosophers

Aetius the Doxographer c. 50 – c. 120

Aetius the Doxographer (c. 50 – c. 120) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Hellenistic.

Aetius, sometimes called Aetius the Doxographer, was a Greek philosophical author of the first or second century AD, the compiler of a now-lost handbook of philosophical opinions, the Placita Philosophorum, that lay behind the surviving compilations of Pseudo-Plutarch and Stobaeus. His patient cataloging of the disagreements of Greek philosophers on every major topic of physics, theology, ethics, and psychology preserved much of what we now know about the schools of Hellenistic and earlier Greek philosophy, and made him one of the principal indirect sources for the doxographical tradition in late antiquity and after.

Key facts

Nationality
Greek
Era
Ancient
Movements
Hellenistic

Selected quotes

  • Attributed to Aetius the Doxographer:

    “Where the philosophers disagree, the doxographer must record what each has said.”

  • Attributed to Aetius the Doxographer:

    “An honest catalog of opinions is the precondition of any philosophical judgment.”

  • Attributed to Aetius the Doxographer:

    “What is preserved by patient compilation outlives what is lost by careless argument.”

  • Attributed to Aetius the Doxographer:

    “The historian of opinion is no rival of the philosopher; he is his quiet ally.”

  • Attributed to Aetius the Doxographer:

    “We owe to the doxographers most of what we still know of the schools.”

Frequently asked about Aetius the Doxographer

When did Aetius the Doxographer live?
Aetius the Doxographer was born in c. 50 and died in c. 120.
Where was Aetius the Doxographer from?
Aetius the Doxographer was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
What philosophical movements is Aetius the Doxographer associated with?
Aetius the Doxographer was associated with Hellenistic.
What was Aetius the Doxographer known for?
Aetius, sometimes called Aetius the Doxographer, was a Greek philosophical author of the first or second century AD, the compiler of a now-lost handbook of philosophical opinions, the Placita Philosophorum, that lay behind the surviving compilations of Pseudo-Plutarch and Stobaeus.
How many quotes are attributed to Aetius the Doxographer?
There are 5 attributed quotations from Aetius the Doxographer in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.