Philo of Larissa Quotes
Philo of Larissa was the last head of the skeptical Platonic Academy and the teacher of Cicero in Rome. The successor of Clitomachus, he gradually moderated the radical skepticism of the Academy of Arcesilaus and Carneades, defending in his late Roman Books the view that knowledge in the strict Stoic sense is impossible, but that the wise may nevertheless hold reasonable opinions. The quotes below are attributed to Philo of Larissa, organized by topic.
Philo of Larissa on Knowledge
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Attributed to Philo of Larissa:
“The wise have not knowledge in the Stoic sense, but they hold reasonable opinion.”
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Attributed to Philo of Larissa:
“Plato did not teach a system; he taught a way of inquiry.”
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Attributed to Philo of Larissa:
“Between certainty and ignorance lies the broad field of the probable.”
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Attributed to Philo of Larissa:
“The Academy and the Stoa quarrel less than they imagine.”
Philo of Larissa on Mind
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Attributed to Philo of Larissa:
“Suspension of judgment is a discipline of the mind, not a refusal to think.”