8. Justin used the word "philology" in the sense of an exercise of the reason-

How Justin found philosophy

wise man. So great was my folly that I fully expected immediately to gaze upon God, for this is the goal of Plato's philosophy." c h a p t e r 3 "As I was in this frame of mind and desired absolute solitude devoid of human distractions, I used to take myself to a certain spot not far from the sea. One day, as I approached that place with the intention of being alone, a respectable old man,7 of meek and venerable appearance, followed me at a short distance. I stopped, turned quickly, and stared sharply at him.

2. "'Do you know me?' he asked.

"'I do not,' I replied.

"'Why, therefore,' he continued, 'do you stare at me so?'

"'Because,' I answered, 'I am surprised to ﬁnd you here. I didn't expect to see anyone here.'

"'I am worried,' he said, 'about some missing members of my household, and I am therefore looking around in the hope that they may show up somewhere in the vicinity. But what brings you here?'

"'I take great delight,' I answered, 'in such walks, where I can converse with myself without hindrance because there is nothing to distract my attention. Places like this are most suitable for philology.'8

3. "'Are you, then,' he asked, 'a lover of words,9 rather than a lover of deeds and of truth? Do you not strive to be a practical man rather than a sophist?'

"'But what greater deed,' I replied, 'could one perform than to prove that reason10 rules all, and that one who rules reason and is sustained by it can look down upon the errors and un7. On the old man's identity see van Winden, 53–54, 117–18. Skarsaune,

246, suggests "the fascinating possibility that the Old Man may have been a Palestinian or a Syrian Christian." G. Gargano (cited in new Introduction, n 7) and A. Hofer ("The Old Man as Christ in Justin's Dialogue with Trypho," VigChr

57.1 [2003]: 1–21) raise the intriguing possibility that Trypho is Christ himself.

8. Justin used the word "philology" in the sense of an exercise of the reasoning faculty. See van Winden, 53–55.

9. The old man, however, employs the term "philology" to denote skill in the use of words.

10. Reason, i.e., in the philosophical sense. "Logos" is the term in common.

Justin, Martyr, Saint. Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church, Volume 3), edited by Michael Slusser, Catholic University of America Press, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nottingham/de

Created from nottingham on 2021-08-20 07:56:45.

st. justin martyr dertakings of others, and see that they do nothing reasonable or pleasing to God. Man cannot have prudence without philosophy and straight thinking. Thus, every man should be devoted to philosophy and should consider it the greatest and most noble pursuit; all other pursuits are only of secondor third-rate value, unless they are connected with philosophy. Then they are of some value and should be approved; if they are devoid of philosophy and are not connected with it in any way, they then become base and coarse pursuits to those who practice them.'

4. "Interrupting, he asked, 'Does philosophy therefore produce happiness?'

"'Absolutely,' I replied, 'and it alone.'

"'Tell me,' he asked, 'what is philosophy and what is the happiness it engenders, if there is nothing which prevents your speaking?'

"'Philosophy,' I answered, 'is the knowledge of that which exists, and a clear understanding of the truth; and happiness is the reward of such knowledge and understanding.'

5. "'But how do you deﬁne God?' he asked.

"'God is the Being who always has the same nature in the same manner, and is the cause of existence to all else,' I replied.

"Pleased with my words, he once again asked, 'Is not knowledge a word applied commonly to different matters? For, whoever is skilled in any of the arts, for example, in the art of military strategy, or of navigation, or of medicine, is called skillful. But this is not true in divine and human matters. Is there a science which furnishes us with an understanding of human and divine things, and, besides, a higher science of the divinity and virtue in them?'

"'Certainly,' I replied.

6. "'Well now,' he asked, 'is the knowledge of man and God similar to that of music, arithmetic, astronomy, and the like?'

"'Not at all,' I answered.

"'Your answer has not been correct, then,' he continued, 'for we acquire the knowledge of some things by study or practice, and of other things by sight. Now, if anyone were to say to you that in India there exists an animal different from all othJustin, Martyr, Saint. Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church, Volume 3), edited by Michael Slusser, Catholic University of America Press, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nottingham/de

Created from nottingham on 2021-08-20 07:56:45.

How Justin found philosophy

ers, of such and such a species, assuming many shapes and colors, you would have no deﬁnite knowledge of it unless you saw it, nor could you attempt to give any description of it, unless you had heard of it from one who had seen it.'

"'Absolutely not,' I agreed.

7. "'Then, how,' he reasoned, 'can the philosophers speculate correctly or speak truly of God, when they have no knowledge of him, since they have never seen nor heard him?'

"'But the Deity, father,' I rejoined, 'cannot be seen by the same eyes as other living beings are. He is to be perceived by the mind alone, as Plato afﬁrms, and I agree with him.'11 c h a p t e r 4 "'Does our mind, then,' he inquired, 'possess such and so great a power? Or does it not perceive that which exists through the senses? Or will the human mind be capable of seeing God, if not aided by the Holy Spirit?'

"'Plato truly states,' I retorted, 'that the eye of the mind12 has this special power, which has been given to us in order that we may see with it, when it is pure, the very Being who is the cause of everything the mind perceives, who has neither color, nor form, nor size, nor anything the eye can see, but who is beyond all essence, who is ineffable and indescribable, who alone is beautiful and good, and who comes at once into those souls which are well disposed because of their afﬁnity to and desire of seeing him.'

2. "'What afﬁnity, then,' he asked, 'have we with God? Is the soul also divine and immortal and a part of the Supreme Mind itself? And as this Supreme Mind sees God, are we, in like manner, able to perceive the Deity in our mind, and thus be happy even now?'

"'Absolutely,' I replied.

"'Do all the souls,' he asked, 'of all the animals perceive him? Or is man's soul different from that of a horse or an ass?'

"'No,' I answered, 'the souls of all creatures are the same.'

11. See new Introduction, n 5.

12. On the "eye of the mind," see van Winden, 69–71, quoting Plato, Republic 7.533d and Sophist 254a10.

Created from nottingham on 2021-08-20 07:56:45.

st. justin martyr 3. "'Then,' he continued, 'shall horses and asses see God, or have they ever seen God at any time?'

"'No,' I replied, 'for not even most men see him; only those who are honest in their life, and who have been puriﬁed through their justice and every other virtue.'

"'Then you would say,' he persisted, 'that man does not see God because of his afﬁnity with him, nor because he possesses an intellect, but because he is temperate and just?'

"'Certainly,' I answered, 'and also because he has the faculty of thinking of God.'

"'Would you say,' he asked, 'that goats or sheep do an injustice to anyone?'

"'They do not in any way do an injustice to anyone,' I replied.

4. "'So, according to your reasoning,' he said, 'these animals will see God?'

"'No, they won't,' I answered, 'because they are hindered from doing so by the form of their bodies.'

"'If these animals had the power of speech,' he retorted, 'you can be sure that they would have more right to revile our bodies. But, for the present let us ignore this topic and I'll concede that what you say is true. Tell me this: Does the soul see

God while it is in the body, or after it has been released from it?'

5. "'Even while it is in the human body,' I replied, 'it can see God by means of the intellect, but especially after it has been released from the body, and exists of itself, does it perceive God whom it always loved.'

"'Does it remember,' he asked, 'this vision of God when it is again united to a human body?'

"'I don't think so,' I answered.

"'What, then,' he continued, 'is the advantage of having seen God? What advantage has he who has seen God over him who has not, unless he at least remembers the fact that he has seen him?'

6. "'That I cannot answer,' I admitted.

"'And what,' asked he, 'will be the punishment for those deemed unworthy to see God?'

Created from nottingham on 2021-08-20 07:56:45.

How Justin found philosophy

"'As a punishment,' I answered, 'they will be imprisoned in the bodies of certain wild beasts.'13

"'Will they be conscious that for this reason they are imprisoned in such bodies and that they have committed some sin?'

"'I don't think so.'

7. "'Then, it would seem that they beneﬁt in no way from such punishment; in fact, I would say that they suffer no punishment at all, unless they are conscious that it is a punishment.'

"'No, indeed,' I conceded.

"'Therefore,' he concluded, 'souls do not see God, nor do they transmigrate into other bodies, for they would know that they were being thus punished, and they would be afraid thereafter to commit even the slightest sin. But I do concede that souls can perceive that there is a God, and that justice and piety are admirable.'

"'You speak the truth,' I agreed. c h a p t e r 5 "'Those philosophers, then, know nothing,' he went on,

'about such matters, for they can't even explain the nature of the soul.'

"'It seems not,' I concurred.

"'Nor should we call the soul immortal, for, if it were, we would certainly have to call it unbegotten.'

"'Some Platonists,' I answered, 'consider the soul both unbegotten and immortal.'

"'Do you afﬁrm,' he asked, 'that the universe also is unbegotten?'

"'There are some who hold that opinion,' I replied, 'but I don't agree with them.'

2. "'Right you are,' he continued. 'Why would one think that a body that is so solid, ﬁrm, composite, and mutable, a body that deteriorates and is renewed each day, has not originated from some ﬁrst cause? Now, if the universe has been begotten,

13. On the transmigration of souls see EECh, s.v. "metempsychosis"; M. Maritano, "Giustino Martire: di fronte al problema della metempsicosi (Dial. 4,

4–7, e 5,5)," Salesianum 54 (1992): 231–81.

Created from nottingham on 2021-08-20 07:56:45.

↑ Back to top