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For they, the philosophers, were considered teachers of right living, which is far more excellent, since to speak well belongs only to a few, but to live well belongs to all.
Lactantius
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Philosophers focus on teaching how to live a virtuous life, which is accessible to everyone, unlike speaking eloquently.

This quote highlights the significance of living a good life as a fundamental teaching of philosophers, contrasting it with the notion that only a select few can express themselves eloquently. It suggests that the essence of philosophy lies not merely in the articulation of ideas but in the practical application of those ideas in daily living, emphasizing that a well-lived life is a pursuit available to all individuals.

Themes

PhilosophyLiving WellRight LivingTeachingVirtue

In practice

Example use cases

In a graduation speech about the importance of ethics and morality in life choices.

More from Lactantius

For when God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits us from open violence, which is not even allowed by the public laws, but he warns us against the commission of those beings which are esteemed lawful among men....Therefore, with regard to this precept of God, there ought to be no exception at all, but that it is always unlawful to put to death a man, whom God willed to be a sacred animal.
LactantiusRead

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