According to Porphyry (as reported by Augustine), the radical skepticism of the ancient Academy concealed an esoteric positive doctrine whose purpose was to protect Plato’s spiritual metaphysics against the materialism of Stoics and Epicureans.

By Augustin d'Hippone, from Les Confessions

Key Arguments

  • The note reports that Augustine ‘accepted from Porphyry the opinion that the scepticism of the ancient Academy about the possibility of assured knowledge about anything went with an esoteric positive doctrine’, showing that Porphyry saw Academic skepticism as a pedagogical or protective façade, not a final position.
  • It further explains their ‘intention was to safeguard Plato’s spiritual metaphysic from the materialism of Stoics and Epicureans’, so suspension of judgment served to block materialist misreadings of Plato.
  • Augustine in Against the Academics III takes over this interpretation, indicating his awareness that Academic doubt might be strategically ordered toward a higher, hidden teaching rather than sheer relativism.

Source Quotes

16 i.e. through the Bible. 17 Augustine (Against the Academics III) accepted from Porphyry the opinion that the scepticism of the ancient Academy about the possibility of assured knowledge about anything went with an esoteric positive doctrine. Their intention was to safeguard Plato’s spiritual metaphysic from the materialism of Stoics and Epicureans.
17 Augustine (Against the Academics III) accepted from Porphyry the opinion that the scepticism of the ancient Academy about the possibility of assured knowledge about anything went with an esoteric positive doctrine. Their intention was to safeguard Plato’s spiritual metaphysic from the materialism of Stoics and Epicureans. 18 Manichee attacks on Genesis 1 especially scorned the notion that man is in God’s image.

Key Concepts

  • Augustine (Against the Academics III) accepted from Porphyry the opinion that the scepticism of the ancient Academy about the possibility of assured knowledge about anything went with an esoteric positive doctrine.
  • Their intention was to safeguard Plato’s spiritual metaphysic from the materialism of Stoics and Epicureans.

Context

Footnote in Book V clarifying the background of Augustine’s remarks on the Academics by summarizing Porphyry’s interpretation of Academic skepticism as a protective strategy for Platonism.