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One of a class of men who taught eloquence, philosophy, and politics in ancient Greece; especially, one of those who, by their fallacious but plausible reasoning, puzzled inquirers after truth, weakened the faith of the people, and drew upon themselves general hatred and contempt. Many of the Sophists doubdtless card n…

Fig.: Abounding with difficulties or annoyances. The spiny deserts of scholastic philosophy. Bp. Warburton. Spiny lobster. (Zoöl.) Same as Rock lobster, under Rock. See also Lobster.

all corporeal things follow from those manifest principles, would be a very great step in philosophy. Sir I. Newton.

stop of the infection. De Foe. Occult qualities put a stop to the improvement of natural philosophy. Sir I. Newton. It is a great step toward the mastery of our desires to give this stop to them. Locke.

A student. [R.] W. Irving. Lipsius was a great studier of the stoical philosophy. Tillotson.

One skilled in subjective philosophy; a subjectivist.

uments, as though they were sufficient to support and demonstrate a whole scheme of moral philosophy. J. Edwards.

A body of Hindoo literature containing aphorisms on grammar, meter, law, and philosophy, and forming a connecting link between the Vedic and later Sanscrit literature. Balfour (Cyc. of India).

mething else as a symbol, token, or representative of it. Bouvier. Chitty. -- Symbolical philosophy, the philosophy expressed by hieroglyphics.

Uniting and blending together different systems, as of philosophy, morals, or religion. Smart.

g the reconcilement of Christ and Belial. Baxter. Syncretism is opposed to eclecticism in philosophy. Krauth-Fleming.

nection; a regular union of principles or parts forming one entire thing; as, a system of philosophy; a system of government; a system of divinity; a system of botany or chemistry; a military system; the solar system. The best way to learn any science, is to begin with a regular system, or a short and plain scheme of t…

To form into a table or tables; to reduce to tables or synopses. A philosophy is not worth the having, unless its results may be tabulated, and put in figures. I. Taylor.

That department of philosophy which treats of the being, perfections, and government of God, and the immortality of the soul. Krauth-Fleming.

apply to divinity; to reduce to a system of theology. School divinity was but Aristotle's philosophy theologized. Glanvill.

ulative theology, theology as founded upon, or influenced by, speculation or metaphysical philosophy. -- Systematic theology, that branch of theology of which the aim is to reduce all revealed truth to a series of statements that together shall constitute an organized whole. E. G. Robinson (Johnson's Cyc.).…

Combining theism and philosophy, or pertaining to the combination of theism and philosophy.

Any system of philosophy or mysticism which proposes to attain intercourse with God and superior spirits, and consequent superhuman knowledge, by physical processes, as by the theurgic operations of some ancient Platonists, or by the chemical processes of the German fire philosophers; also, a direct, as distinguished f…

e and letters among the ancient Egyptians, and supposed to be the inventor of writing and philosophy. He corresponded to the Mercury of the Romans, and was usually represented as a human figure with the head of an ibis or a lamb.

That which is trivial; a trifle. The philosophy of our times does not expend itself in furious discussions on mere scholastic trivialities. Lyon Playfair.