That is,[1] a searching and a problem which extends toward either choice and avoidance or truth and knowledge, either on its own or as something working in collaboration with something else of this kind.[2] For Aristotle used to say that searching is theorizing. But the theorem would be to us an account responsible for a certain knowledge of the things belonging to dialectics, due to the fact that we call it a cause because of theory and knowledge. A theorem can be ethical, physical or logical, but indeed not every theorem ethical, physical or logical is already a dialectical theorem, but what is included in the domain of the proposed theorems contains a certain delimitation. These accounts are those about which people either hold no opinion or the wise hold the opposite opinion to the many, or the many hold the opposite of the wise, or each of them hold opposed opinions between themselves. Now what is being searched refers to choice or avoidance, such things being ethical problems. For the ethical searching, which is concerned with the good and the bad as well as with what is choiceworthy and avoidable, refers to choice and avoidance, and not merely to knowledge. Certainly, the one who is searching for something (whether pleasure is a good or is not a good or, in general, with regard to one of the goods gained in addition) focuses his searching on choice or avoidance. And again, the one who is searching whether the world is spherical or not, whether the soul is immortal or not, or some other thing of those that both are generated and exist by nature, makes his end the knowledge of truth, this end being proper to theoretical knowledge. For knowledge of the form of government among the best people is the end of theory. Those things which are not searched as practical and do not have the knowledge of truth in themselves as their end, either, but are searched as things working in collaboration with something else either both in respect of the knowledge and not the knowledge of the things that are choiceworthy or in respect of the choice both of true and false things, these are logical problems. For logical investigation occupies the place of an instrument in philosophy. Those things which indeed are searched for in accordance with this investigation are searched in respect of that investigation for the sake of the utility they have. For the one who is searching about the conversion of a premise, so to speak, about either the syllogistic or the non-syllogistic conjuction insofar as these things are auxiliary or contributory, is searching in view of the discovery as well as knowledge of the afore-mentioned things. Also [sc. attested is] teqewrhme/nh, [meaning] disposed to search of [= for] true knowledge.[3]
"So Arcesilaus the philosopher was sluggish and listless in his nature, but theoretically proficient in his craft, when saying that geometry flew into his mouth while it was open".[4]