| [[Greek]] ''eklektikos'', from ''eklegein'' to select, from ''ex''- out + ''legein'' to gather | | [[Greek]] ''eklektikos'', from ''eklegein'' to select, from ''ex''- out + ''legein'' to gather |
| ''Eclecticism'' was first recorded to have been [[practiced]] by a group of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers who attached themselves to no real system, but selected from existing philosophical [[beliefs]] those doctrines that seemed most reasonable to them. Out of this collected material they constructed their new system of [[philosophy]]. The term comes from the Greek ἐκλεκτικός (''eklektikos''), [[literally]] "choosing the best", and that from ἐκλεκτός (eklektos), "picked out, select". Well known eclectics in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] were the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoics Stoics] Panaetius and Posidonius, and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Academic New Academics] Carneades and Philo of Larissa. Among the Romans, Cicero was thoroughly eclectic, as he united the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripatetic_school Peripatetic], Stoic, and New Academic doctrines. Other eclectics included Varro and Seneca. | | ''Eclecticism'' was first recorded to have been [[practiced]] by a group of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers who attached themselves to no real system, but selected from existing philosophical [[beliefs]] those doctrines that seemed most reasonable to them. Out of this collected material they constructed their new system of [[philosophy]]. The term comes from the Greek ἐκλεκτικός (''eklektikos''), [[literally]] "choosing the best", and that from ἐκλεκτός (eklektos), "picked out, select". Well known eclectics in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] were the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoics Stoics] Panaetius and Posidonius, and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Academic New Academics] Carneades and Philo of Larissa. Among the Romans, Cicero was thoroughly eclectic, as he united the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripatetic_school Peripatetic], Stoic, and New Academic doctrines. Other eclectics included Varro and Seneca. |