Archidoxa ex Theophrastia : Pars I

Preface:

...have arisen: so that outside of the Divine light and true experience original: "experiens" — In this period, "experience" often referred to both experimental observation and the internal realization of truths., no one sees more than what his darkened reason reveals to him. Such a revelation certainly cannot be perfect, for the light of reason itself is imperfect. But because one person has a clearer and brighter understanding than another—though all are equally imperfect—one person’s opinion is also clearer and brighter than another’s, yet still imperfect, as all understanding is in itself imperfect. Therefore, even though Plato was called the Divine Philosopheroriginal: "Diuinus" — A title given to Plato in the Renaissance because his teachings on the soul and the "Good" were seen as approaching Christian revelation. because of his high wisdom, Aristotle nevertheless departed from him and introduced another way of philosophizing, despite having been Plato’s discipleoriginal: "discipulus". Similarly, in many important matters, other philosophers later departed from Aristotle’s opinion, as can be seen in many places in the books of the highly famous Galen Galen (c. 129–216 CE) was a Greek physician whose systems of anatomy and medicine were the standard authority for over a millennium.. Likewise, later wise men departed from Galen in many things, as the testimony of Averroes Averroes (1126–1198) was an Andalusian philosopher known for his influential commentaries on Aristotle and critiques of previous medical authorities. sufficiently proves to us, to say nothing of the others.

This inconsistency among the learned has introduced no small suspicion into the minds of the wise: namely, that the opinions of the aforementioned writers are not all firmly set upon the foundation of nature. Instead, they were brought forth according to each man's own best judgment, and should be held in no higher value than that which they themselves prescribed to us: that is, when they agree with nature, they are recognized as right; but where they are against nature, they should be set aside as void. For why should we...