I've had another semi-mystical idea that I would like to share briefly. I promise I have longer (5000+) posts coming I've just been too busy to polish them off.
While tutoring on Augustine for a politics class last week I made the following lead in to a question:
'In Strauss' "Encyclopedia of political philosophy" chapter on Augustine it is claimed that Augustine maintained that as pagan rationalist philosophy had been unable to overcome pride and the other conflict sowing qualities of man that society must necessarily purify itself into monotheism. Only with the overarching omni arbiter could man be expected to behave in a orderly manner...'
I wonder if we are currently seeing monotheistic society purify itself into an atheist rationalist one?
I wonder whether there is a necessary psychic progression (perhaps on the level of the collective unconscious) from paganism to monotheism to atheism.
Paganism is principally about creating the Gods in man's image. They commit adultery, are jealous, petty, lustful and proud. They engage in the same games and endeavours as men. They are not role models but explanations. The pagan believes himself caught up in an Olympian game wherein he is less than a chess piece. Tossed this way and that by the Gods the pagan resigns himself to life and gets through it as best he can. Interestingly, the heroes of this period, particularly as they emerge from the Greek tradition, are existential heroes par excellence, albiet favoured by particular Gods. They endeavour to carve their own path in life and affirm themselves in spite of their meager mortal power.
With Plato comes the great shift towards monotheism and man created in the image of God. God now becomes a role model - and an impossible role model at that. Man's very nature is turned against him in the concepts of sin, bad thoughts and the corruption of the will. Man seeks to tame his base instincts with reason and his reason with faith. Mankind tries to purify itself, but history seems to show that we have found numberous excuses to revert to our baser impulses despite a porported believe in a divine overseer.
And now we seem to be shedding our need for a role model and accepting ourselves as perfectly adequate role models. The science of the past century has made many of us confident that we can adequately answer the riddles of the universe and make heaven on earth. Meanwhile existential philosophy since the late 19th century has emphasised the centrality of the individual self in the pursuit of happiness and meaning and the importance of affirmation.
In becoming role models for ourselves we have both acknowledged our inherent natures but also committed ourselves to rationally managing those aspects of ourselves that we find reprehensible. We are shedding the notions of guilt, sin, humility, chastity and piety because they make us sick. They turn us against ourselves. We can competantly engage with our dark sides and defend against them without needing to describe ourselves as 'fallen'. We do not have to compartmentalise the animal part of us as heathen, base and immoral in order to behave well.
And so in this new century I hope to see mankind affirm itself and blossom like it did with the Greeks. I hope to see mankind celebrate itself and reach for the stars, metaphorically and literally. At the same time, I would like to see mankind take greater responsibility for the ethical obligations it faces in regard to the planet, to the unfortunate and to each other. In this context I would like to present what I am increasingly coming to regard as the atheist motto: 'it's all up to us.'
While tutoring on Augustine for a politics class last week I made the following lead in to a question:
'In Strauss' "Encyclopedia of political philosophy" chapter on Augustine it is claimed that Augustine maintained that as pagan rationalist philosophy had been unable to overcome pride and the other conflict sowing qualities of man that society must necessarily purify itself into monotheism. Only with the overarching omni arbiter could man be expected to behave in a orderly manner...'
I wonder if we are currently seeing monotheistic society purify itself into an atheist rationalist one?
I wonder whether there is a necessary psychic progression (perhaps on the level of the collective unconscious) from paganism to monotheism to atheism.
Paganism is principally about creating the Gods in man's image. They commit adultery, are jealous, petty, lustful and proud. They engage in the same games and endeavours as men. They are not role models but explanations. The pagan believes himself caught up in an Olympian game wherein he is less than a chess piece. Tossed this way and that by the Gods the pagan resigns himself to life and gets through it as best he can. Interestingly, the heroes of this period, particularly as they emerge from the Greek tradition, are existential heroes par excellence, albiet favoured by particular Gods. They endeavour to carve their own path in life and affirm themselves in spite of their meager mortal power.
With Plato comes the great shift towards monotheism and man created in the image of God. God now becomes a role model - and an impossible role model at that. Man's very nature is turned against him in the concepts of sin, bad thoughts and the corruption of the will. Man seeks to tame his base instincts with reason and his reason with faith. Mankind tries to purify itself, but history seems to show that we have found numberous excuses to revert to our baser impulses despite a porported believe in a divine overseer.
And now we seem to be shedding our need for a role model and accepting ourselves as perfectly adequate role models. The science of the past century has made many of us confident that we can adequately answer the riddles of the universe and make heaven on earth. Meanwhile existential philosophy since the late 19th century has emphasised the centrality of the individual self in the pursuit of happiness and meaning and the importance of affirmation.
In becoming role models for ourselves we have both acknowledged our inherent natures but also committed ourselves to rationally managing those aspects of ourselves that we find reprehensible. We are shedding the notions of guilt, sin, humility, chastity and piety because they make us sick. They turn us against ourselves. We can competantly engage with our dark sides and defend against them without needing to describe ourselves as 'fallen'. We do not have to compartmentalise the animal part of us as heathen, base and immoral in order to behave well.
And so in this new century I hope to see mankind affirm itself and blossom like it did with the Greeks. I hope to see mankind celebrate itself and reach for the stars, metaphorically and literally. At the same time, I would like to see mankind take greater responsibility for the ethical obligations it faces in regard to the planet, to the unfortunate and to each other. In this context I would like to present what I am increasingly coming to regard as the atheist motto: 'it's all up to us.'
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