Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 4

Primum itaque, si videtur tibi, dicam, inter sapientiam et philosophiam quid intersit. Sapientia perfectum bonum est mentis humanae. Philosophia sapientiae amor est et adfectatio. Haec eo tendit, quo illa pervenit. Philosophia unde dicta sit, apparet. Ipso enim nomine fatetur quid amet.

Et d’abord énonçons, pour te satisfaire, en quoi la sagesse diffère de la philosophie. La sagesse est pour l’âme humaine la perfection dans le bien ; la philosophie, c’est l’amour et la poursuite de cette perfection. La première montre le but où la seconde est parvenue. Pourquoi l’appelle-t-on philosophie ? L’
étymologie même du mot l’indique clairement.

In the first place, therefore, if you approve, I shall draw the distinction between wisdom and philosophy. Wisdom is the perfect good of the human mind; philosophy is the love of wisdom, and the endeavour to attain it. The latter strives toward the goal which the former has already reached. And it is clear why philosophy was so called. For it acknowledges by its very name the object of its love.