Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Notes for Thursday, 2/2/06
1. Compete comments on Aristotle's ethics, politics and aesthetics.
2. A note on Ty's objection to question 8 of Quiz 2. "One of the charges brought against Socrates was that he often tried to make the weaker argument appear the stronger").
Read to p. 99. The Hellenistic and Roman Periods. Epicureanism, Stoicism, Neoplatonism.
Epicurus (4th-3rd cent. BCE) The meaning of Epicurianism today (hedonism), by contrast with the philosophy of Epicurus himself. A follower of Democritus. The equation of happiness with pleasure. The classifications of desire. Pleasure defined negatively (as the absence of pain). Epicurus inspired the later Roman poet Lucretius (341-270), the author of De Natura Rerum ( = On the Nature of Things), a poem that combines lyric enthusiasm with scientific theory. One of the lines from it of which I am particularly fond is (2.79) "et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt," i.e." like runners they pass on the torch of life." A metaphor from the Athenian lampadedromy.
Stoicism. Founded in Greece by Zeno of Cyprus. Stoa = portico. Acting in accordance with nature. Reality is perfect. If freedom is the unity of will and ability (i.e. being able to do what you want), we must want what the universe wants. It is not so much a getting what you want as a wanting what you get. Similarities (resignation) and differences (suicide) with Christianity.
Famous Roman stoics. Seneca, a dramatist (4-65), Epictetus a freedman, and Marcus Aurelius (121-180), an Emperor.
Neoplatonism. A mystic form of Platonism that had considerable influence on Christianity. Consult diagrams on p. 97.
2. A note on Ty's objection to question 8 of Quiz 2. "One of the charges brought against Socrates was that he often tried to make the weaker argument appear the stronger").
Read to p. 99. The Hellenistic and Roman Periods. Epicureanism, Stoicism, Neoplatonism.
Epicurus (4th-3rd cent. BCE) The meaning of Epicurianism today (hedonism), by contrast with the philosophy of Epicurus himself. A follower of Democritus. The equation of happiness with pleasure. The classifications of desire. Pleasure defined negatively (as the absence of pain). Epicurus inspired the later Roman poet Lucretius (341-270), the author of De Natura Rerum ( = On the Nature of Things), a poem that combines lyric enthusiasm with scientific theory. One of the lines from it of which I am particularly fond is (2.79) "et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt," i.e." like runners they pass on the torch of life." A metaphor from the Athenian lampadedromy.
Stoicism. Founded in Greece by Zeno of Cyprus. Stoa = portico. Acting in accordance with nature. Reality is perfect. If freedom is the unity of will and ability (i.e. being able to do what you want), we must want what the universe wants. It is not so much a getting what you want as a wanting what you get. Similarities (resignation) and differences (suicide) with Christianity.
Famous Roman stoics. Seneca, a dramatist (4-65), Epictetus a freedman, and Marcus Aurelius (121-180), an Emperor.
Neoplatonism. A mystic form of Platonism that had considerable influence on Christianity. Consult diagrams on p. 97.
# posted by Michael @ 2:13 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
I think the diagrams for Neoplatonism are on pg. 97, not 79. I was also wondedering, does neoplatonism correspong with Christianity because ultimate reality is above human logic? Are there any other ways that these to theories correspond?
# posted by 
: 1:30 PM, February 06, 2006
: 1:30 PM, February 06, 2006
First of all, thanks for the page correction, Whitney. Secondly, what you say is correct: the main point of similarity between Neoplatonism and Christianity is the position of ultimate reality (or God)above human understanding, and beyond the reach of human expression as well. There may be others. But I'll have to think about this more.
Post a Comment
<< Home
