Lucullus, second livre des Académiques Passage 117

Quod si geometricis rationibus non est crediturus, quae vim adferunt in docendo vos ipsi ut dicitis, ne ille longe aberit ut argumentis credat philosophorum - aut si est crediturus, quorum potissimum? omnia enim physicorum licet explicare, sed longum est; quaero tamen quem sequatur. finge aliquem nunc fieri sapientem, nondum esse; quam potissimum sententiam melius eliget et disciplinam? etsi quamcumque eliget insipiens eliget; sed sit ingenio divino: quem unum e physicis potissimum probabit? nec plus uno poterit. Non persequor quaestiones infinitas; tantum de principiis rerum e quibus omnia constant videamus quem probet; est enim inter magnos homines summa dissensio.

But if he will not trust geometrical proofs, which, as you yourselves say, bring compulsion to teaching, he will surely be far from trusting the arguments of philosophers. Or, if he will trust them, which philosophers will he trust above all? One could expound all the physicists, but that would take too long. Still, I ask whom he will follow. Imagine someone now becoming wise but not yet wise. Which doctrine and school will he do best to choose? Whichever he chooses, he will choose while foolish. But suppose that his intellect is divine. Which one of the physicists will he approve above all? He cannot approve more than one. I shall not pursue endless questions. Let us consider only the first principles from which all things consist, and ask which account he will approve. For among great men there is the greatest disagreement.

S'il refuse de croire aux raisonnements géométriques, qui, selon vos propres paroles, exercent une contrainte dans l'enseignement, il sera assurément bien loin de croire aux arguments des philosophes. Et s'il doit y croire, lesquels choisira-t-il ? On pourrait exposer toutes les théories des physiciens, mais ce serait long. Je demande pourtant laquelle il suivra. Imagine un homme qui devient sage à l'instant, mais ne l'est pas encore : quelle doctrine et quelle école choisira-t-il de préférence ? Quoi qu'il choisisse, il le choisira comme un insensé ; mais accordons-lui un génie divin. Lequel des physiciens approuvera-t-il de préférence ? Il ne pourra en approuver plus d'un. Je ne poursuis pas les questions infinies. Voyons seulement lequel il approuvera quant aux principes dont toutes choses sont constituées, car les plus grands hommes sont sur ce point en complet désaccord.