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nies of Thales, Anaxagoras, and Plato. The cosmogony or creation of the world has puzzled philosophers of all ages. Goldsmith.

One of a sect or school of philosophers founded by Antisthenes, and of whom Diogenes was a disciple. The first Cynics were noted for austere lives and their scorn for social customs and current philosophical opinions. Hence the term Cynic symbolized, in the popular judgment, moroseness, and contempt for the views of ot…

Belonging to the sect of philosophers called cynics; having the qualities of a cynic; pertaining to, or resembling, the doctrines of the cynics.

One of a school of philosophers, established at Cyrene by Aristippus, a disciple of Socrates. Their doctrines were nearly the same as those of the Epicureans.

One of an ancient sect of philosophers, who cultivated learned conversation at meals.

ves, the deities Of Egypt. Milton. The Deity, God, the Supreme Being. This great poet and philosopher [Simonides], the more he contemplated the nature of the Deity, found that he waded but the more out of his depth. Addison.

rise from accident or error, or from those necessary limitations which, according to this philosopher, originate in the constitution of the human intellect.

A Greek Cynic philosopher (412-323 B. C.) who lived much in Athens and was distinguished for contempt of the common aims and conditions of life, and for sharp, caustic sayings. Diogenes' crab (Zoöl.), a species of terrestrial hermit crabs (Cenobita Diogenes), abundant in the West Indies and often destructive to crops.…

stian doctrine of a future life was no recommendation of the new religion to the wits and philosophers of that disputations period. Buckminster. -- Dis`pu*ta"tious*ly, adv. -- Dis`pu*ta"tious*ness, n.

Several; sundry; various; more than one, but not a great number; as, divers philosophers. Also used substantively or pronominally. Divers of Antonio's creditors. Shak.

excellent in doctrines, opinions, etc.) from various sources or systems; as, an eclectic philosopher.

Of or pertaining to a certain school of Greek philosophers who taught that the only certain science is that which owes nothing to the senses, and all to the reason. -- n.

One of the simple substances, as supposed by the ancient philosophers; one of the imaginary principles of matter.

ncounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. Acts xvii. 18. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you. Shak.

The number nine or a group of nine. The Enneads, the title given to the works of the philosopher Plotinus, published by his pupil Porphyry; -- so called because each of the six books into which it is divided contains nine chapters.

Pertaining to Epictetus, the Roman Stoic philosopher, whose conception of life was to be passionless under whatever circumstances.

rior; acroamatic; -- said of the private and more recondite instructions and doctrines of philosophers. Opposed to exoteric. Enough if every age produce two or three critics of this esoteric class, with here and there a reader to understand them. De Quincey.

trial; as, experimental science; given to, or skilled in, experiment; as, an experimental philosopher.

Relying on experiment or experience. "an experimentarian philosopher." Boyle. -- n.

One of the so-called philosophers in the first ages of Christianity, who claimed a true philosophical interpretation of the Christian religion. Their system combined Oriental theology and Greek philosophy with the doctrines of Christianity. They held that all natures, intelligible, intellectual, and material, are deriv…