Early Christian Views on Cicero and Pagan Philosophy
Early Christians gave a mixed answer: some, like Clement of Alexandria, saw Greek philosophy as a preparation for Christ, while others, like Lactantius and Tertullian, warned that philosophy could divide and mislead. Origen allowed some philosophical reasoning but kept it under Christ and Scripture. Cicero appears mostly as a cited authority inside these debates, not as the main subject.
60 early-church witnesses · 92 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about cicero and Pagan Philosophy?
Early Christian writers did not treat pagan philosophy the same way. Clement of Alexandria often said Greek philosophy could be a preparation for Christ, while Lactantius and Tertullian warned that philosophy was split into many schools and could mislead people. Origen also said some philosophical ideas could be used in debate, but only if they stayed under Christ and Scripture.
For Cicero in particular, the clearest early Christian use is as a witness inside arguments about philosophy, not as a central focus of doctrine. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Clement of Alexandria said philosophy could be a stepping-stone to Christ.
- Lactantius argued that philosophy was split into many schools and could be foolish and empty.
- Origen treated some philosophical ideas as usable, but only if they stayed under Christ and Scripture.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did any early Christians think pagan philosophy could prepare people for Christ?
Clement of Alexandria says philosophy was given to the Greeks and served as a stepping-stone to the philosophy according to Christ. He also says philosophy can help in the search for truth, though truth is fully discovered through the Son.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
Therefore, it is not usefulness but enjoyment that they seek from philosophy. Cicero himself indeed testified to this. He says, "Truly, all their disputation, although it contains very abundant fountains of virtue and knowledge, yet, when compared with their actions and accomplishments, I fear lest it should seem to have brought not so much advantage to the business of men as enjoyment to their times of relaxation." He ought not to have feared, since he spoke the truth. But it was as if he were afraid that the philosophers would bring him to trial for betraying a mystery. So he did not dare to state confidently what was true: that they do not dispute for the purpose of teaching, but for their own enjoyment in their leisure. And since they are advisers about actions, and do not act at all themselves, they must be regarded as mere talkers. But certainly, because they brought no advantage to life, they neither obeyed their own decrees, nor has anyone been found, through so many ages, who lived according to their laws. Therefore, philosophy must be laid aside altogether, because we are not to devote ourselves to the pursuit of wisdom, for this has no limit or moderation. Instead, we mu
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
Philosophy, says Cicero, is contented with a few judges, of its own accord designedly avoiding the multitude.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
Hortensius in Cicero, contending against philosophy, is pressed by a clever argument;
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
There is in the writings of Cicero a passage not inconsistent with the truth, in that disputation which is held by Furius against justice: I ask, he says, if there should be two men, and one of them should be an excellent man, of the highest integrity, the greatest justice, and remarkable faith, and the other distinguished by crime and audacity;
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
And Cicero, following them, brought forward this opinion respecting the gods and their religions.
Did early Christians criticize pagan philosophy as divided or empty?
Lactantius argues that philosophy is split into many sects, lacks certainty, and can even be condemned as foolish and empty. Tertullian and Origen also warn that philosophy can become vain deceit, worldly learning, or an obstacle when it is not according to Christ.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching
...self is not the cause of the ship being pulled, but only together with the others. In the same way, philosophy, which is the search for truth, helps us understand the truth. It is not the cause of understanding by itself, but a cause along with other things, and a co-worker. Perhaps it may also be called a joint-cause. And just as several virtues are causes of one person’s happiness, and just as the sun, fire, a bath, and clothing all help one person become warm, so also truth is one, yet many things help in the search for it. But its discovery is through the Son. If we think carefully, virtue is one in its power. But when it appears in different matters, it is called prudence in some cases, temperance in others, and in others courage or righteousness. By the same comparison, truth is one, yet in geometry there is the truth of geometry, in music the truth of music, and in the right philosophy there will be Hellenic truth. But the only true and secure truth, which cannot be overthrown, is that in which we are taught by the Son of God. In the same way, we say that a drachma is one and the same coin. But when it is given to the shipmaster, it is called fare; to the tax collector, t
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching
...r. Others say it was Themis, one of the Titanides. Didymus, however, in his work On the Pythagorean Philosophy, says that Theano of Crotona was the first woman who practiced philosophy and wrote poems. Hellenic philosophy then, according to some, grasped the truth by accident, dimly, and only in part. According to others, it was set in motion by the devil. Several suppose that certain powers, coming down from heaven, inspired the whole of philosophy. But if Hellenic philosophy does not include the whole extent of the truth, and besides lacks the strength to carry out the commandments of the Lord, yet it prepares the way for the truly royal teaching. It trains in one way or another, shapes the character, and makes a person who believes in Providence fit to receive the truth.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
And in general terms, we shall not err in alleging that all things necessary and profitable for life came to us from God, and that philosophy more especially was given to the Greeks, as a covenant peculiar to them — being, as it is, a stepping-stone to the philosophy which is according to Christ — although those who applied themselves to the philosophy of the Greeks shut their ears voluntarily to the truth, despising the voice of Barbarians, or also dreading the danger suspended over the believer, by the laws of the state.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
Galatians 3:24 Philosophy, therefore, was a preparation, paving the way for him who is perfected in Christ.
More related quotations from this section 5 shown
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
Under the influence of the same error—for who could stay on the right path when Cicero is mistaken?—Seneca said, “Philosophy is nothing else than the right method of living, or the knowledge of living honorably, or the art of spending a good life.” We would not be wrong to say that philosophy is the law of living well and honorably. And the one who spoke of it as a rule of life gave it what was due to it. But he clearly was not speaking about the common name of philosophy. For it is spread out into many sects and systems, and it has nothing certain—nothing, in short, about which all agree with one mind and one voice. So what could be more false than calling philosophy the rule of life, when the variety of its teachings blocks the right way and causes confusion? Or calling it the law of living well, when its followers strongly disagree? Or calling it the knowledge of spending life, when its repeated contradictions produce nothing but general uncertainty? For I ask whether he thinks that the Academy is philosophy or not. I do not think he will deny it. And if this is so, then none of these descriptions agrees with philosophy. For the Academy makes everything uncertain, abolishes law,
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...our writers thought that philosophy was not for the crowd, because only learned men could reach it. Cicero says that philosophy is satisfied with a few judges, and by its own choice deliberately avoids the crowd. Therefore it is not wisdom if it avoids the gathering of people. For if wisdom is given to man, it is given to all without any distinction, so that there is no one at all who cannot gain it. But they embrace virtue, which is given to the human race, in such a way that they alone, out of all people, seem to want to enjoy what is a public good. They are as jealous as if they wanted to tie up or tear out other people's eyes so that they might not see the sun. For what else is it to deny wisdom to men than to take away from their minds the true and divine light? But if human nature is capable of wisdom, it was fitting that workers, country people, women, and, in short, all who bear human form, should be taught to be wise. And the people should be brought together from every language, condition, sex, and age. Therefore, this is a very strong argument that philosophy neither leads to wisdom nor is itself wisdom: its mystery is made known only by the beard and cloak of the phi
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
Aristotle, says Cicero, accusing the ancient philosophers, declares that they are either most foolish or most vainglorious, since they thought that philosophy was perfected by their talents;
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
What could be said that is more contradictory? If the teachings of philosophy ought to be known, they ought to be known for this reason: so that we may live well and wisely. But if we must live as members of a community, then philosophy is not wisdom, if it is better to live according to society than according to philosophy. For if what is called philosophy is wisdom, then the man who does not live according to philosophy certainly lives foolishly. But if the man who lives according to society does not live foolishly, it follows that the man who lives according to philosophy lives foolishly. Therefore, by your own judgment, philosophy is condemned as foolish and empty. And you also, in your Consolation, that is, not in a work of lightness and amusement, expressed this view about philosophy: "But I do not know what error has taken hold of us, or what miserable ignorance of the truth." Where, then, is the guidance of philosophy? Or what has that parent of life taught you, if you are miserably ignorant of the truth? But if this confession of error and ignorance has been forced from your inmost heart, almost against your will, why do you not finally admit to yourself the truth: that ph
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...an. Therefore, if nothing can be known, as Socrates taught, or ought to be guessed, as Zeno taught, philosophy is completely removed. Why should I say that it is not only overthrown by these two, who were the chief leaders of philosophy, but by all of them, so that it now appears to have long ago destroyed itself by its own weapons? Philosophy has been divided into many sects, and they all hold different opinions. In which of them do we place the truth? It certainly cannot be in all of them. Let us point out one. It then follows that all the others will be without wisdom. Let us go through them one by one. In the same way, whatever we give to one we will take away from the others. For each sect overturns all the others in order to establish itself and its own teachings. Nor does it allow wisdom to any other sect, lest it should admit that it is itself foolish. But as it takes wisdom away from others, so all the others take it away from that sect. For those who accuse it of folly are still philosophers. Whatever sect you praise and declare to be true, philosophers condemn as false. Shall we therefore believe the one that praises itself and its own teaching, or the many that blame
What did early Christians say about Cicero himself?
Lactantius directly quotes Cicero several times, using him as evidence that philosophy can be more about enjoyment, avoids the crowd, and lacks unity. One passage also mentions Cicero in connection with an argument against justice, showing that Lactantius treated Cicero as a useful classical witness rather than as a Christian authority.
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Colossians 2:8 Direct teaching
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching
When, again, he warns them to beware of subtle words and philosophy, as being a vain deceit, such as is after the rudiments of the world (not understanding thereby the mundane fabric of sky and earth, but worldly learning, and the tradition of men, subtle in their speech and their philosophy), Colossians 2:8 it would be tedious, and the proper subject of a separate work, to show how in this sentence (of the apostle's) all heresies are condemned, on the ground of their consisting of the resources of subtle speech and the rules of philosophy.
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Origen, Connection to Colossians 2:8 Direct teaching
Paul, indeed, observing that there are in Greek philosophy certain things not to be lightly esteemed, which are plausible in the eyes of the many, but which represent falsehood as truth, says with regard to such: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
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Clement of Alexandria, Connection to Colossians 2:8 Direct teaching
For Paul too, in the Epistles, plainly does not disparage philosophy; but deems it unworthy of the man who has attained to the elevation of the Gnostic, any more to go back to the Hellenic "philosophy," figuratively calling it the rudiments of this world,"
Common Questions
Did early Christians reject all pagan philosophy?
No. Clement of Alexandria said it could prepare people for Christ, but Lactantius and Tertullian warned that it could also mislead.
How did early Christians use Cicero?
They often used Cicero as a quoted authority in arguments about philosophy, especially to show its limits or its usefulness.
Did Origen think philosophy had any value?
Yes, but only in a limited way. He used some philosophical ideas in debate, while insisting that Christ and Scripture had the final say.
Source Index for Cicero and Pagan Philosophy
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 92 ranked source links for deeper study.
Source index 92 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 60 included
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Justin Martyr, Other Fragments from the Lost Writings of Justin
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Ignatius of Antioch, Connection to Titus 1:10
Bible Passages 32 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
Related Resources
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Transmigration of Souls and Pagan Philosophy
Compare another early Christian topic page with related source quotations.