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losophy; versed in, or imbued with, the principles of philosophy; hence, characterizing a philosopher; rational; wise; temperate; calm; cool. -- Phil`o*soph"ic*al*ly, adv.

To reason like a philosopher; to search into the reason and nature of things; to investigate phenomena, and assign rational causes for their existence. Man philosophizes as he lives. He may philosophize well or ill, but philosophize he must. Sir W. Hamilton.

A decree or determination; a dictum. [Obs.] "The placits and opinions of other philosophers." Evelyn.

A disciple of Plotinus, a celebrated Platonic philosopher of the third century, who taught that the human soul emanates from the divine Being, to whom it reunited at death.

ind find us. Shak. The Porch, a public portico, or great hall, in Athens, where Zeno, the philosopher, taught his disciples; hence, sometimes used as equivalent to the school of the Stoics. It was called "h poiki`lh stoa`. [See Poicile.]

d to prevent mischief or secure good; as, his life was saved by precaution. They [ancient philosophers] treasured up their supposed discoveries with miserable precaution. J. H. Newman.

Existence of the soul before its union with the body; -- a doctrine held by certain philosophers. Addison.

- clergy, false or spurious clergy; pseudo-episcopacy, pseudo-form, pseudo-martyr, pseudo-philosopher. Also used adjectively.

A superficial or narrow pretender to philosophy; a sham philosopher.

Of or pertaining to Pythagoras (a Greek philosopher, born about 582 b. c.), or his philosophy. The central thought of the Pythagorean philosophy is the idea of number, the recognition of the numerical and mathematical relations of things. Encyc. Brit. Pythagorean proposition (Geom.), the theorem that the square describ…

g all things under general and special heads. I. Watts. Poets were ranked in the class of philosophers. Broome. Heresy is ranked with idolatry and witchcraft. Dr. H. More.

Acceptance, as of an opinion or doctrine. Philosophers who have quitted the popular doctrines of their countries have fallen into as extravagant opinions as even common reception countenanced. Locke.

s part of a single mental state tend to recall or suggest one another; -- adopted by many philosophers to explain the phenomena of the association of ideas.

something else; assignable; ascribable. [Written also referrible.] It is a question among philosophers, whether all the attractions which obtain between bodies are referable to one general cause. W. Nicholson.

cluded in a proposition or description; the remainder; others. "Plato and the rest of the philosophers." Bp. Stillingfleet. Armed like the rest, the Trojan prince appears. DRyden.

as, a revolution in one's circumstances or way of living. The ability . . . of the great philosopher speedily produced a complete revolution throughout the department. Macaulay.

the 17th century and the early part of the 18th, claimed to belong to a secret society of philosophers deeply versed in the secrets of nature, -- the alleged society having existed, it was stated, several hundred years.

isdom; especially, a man venerable for years, and of sound judgment and prudence; a grave philosopher. At his birth a star, Unseen before in heaven, proclaims him come, And guides the Eastern sages. Milton.

f motives of human action are derived from love of self. Hobbes and the selfish school of philosophers. Fleming.

t; opinion; notion; judgment; as, to express one's sentiments on a subject. Sentiments of philosophers about the perception of external objects. Reid. Sentiment, as here and elsewhere employed by Reid in the meaning of opinion (sententia), is not to be imitated. Sir W. Hamilton.