I only learned quite recently about the 5th century philosopher Syrianus, a late neoplatonist. I'm going to give you a rather lengthy italicized quote from him. He is discussing Aristotle, and in particular a critique Aristotle offered of both Plato and Pythagoras. I am not a natural controversialist, nor yet would I count myself as a disciple of Aristotle on merely a few or trivial topics; rather, I am one of those who admire both his logical methodology overall and who accept with enthusiasm his treatment of ethical and physical questions. And that I may not make a bore of myself by enumerating in detail all the excellent aspects of this man’s philosophy, let me just ask why every intelligent person might not justly marvel at the apt remarks, accompanied by demonstrations of the highest quality, to be found in this most excellent treatise on the subject of both forms in matter and definitions, and on the subject of the divine and unmoved transcendent causal principles of ...
