Philosophy Needs a Visceral Connection
The visceral (instinctive, unreasoning, and ‘earthy’) domain of human reality is not exclusively the domain of intellection but is a partnership with the crude and earthy emotions that are so dominate a part of human experience.
A new manner of thinking was born in Greece in the five centuries BC. This might properly be called the Pagan Period. Webster informs me that a pagan is a follower of a polytheistic religion or one with little or no religion and who delight in sensual pleasures and material goods. Modern day America seems to fulfill at least one aspect of that definition of paganism.
The Pagan Period was followed by what might be called the Catholic Period. The Catholic Period was a millennium in which the Catholic Church dominated Western civilization.
The manner of thinking born in the Pagan Period and nurtured during the Catholic Period might properly be called the philosophical manner of thinking. Philosophy, born in Greece and nurtured during the millennium following, was grounded in the mind/body dichotomy introduced by Descartes under the heavy influence of an overseeing Catholic Church.
I claim that Western philosophical tradition is today at the cusp of adolescence leading into adulthood. This major paradigm shift is constructed on the recognition that we can no longer ground our philosophical attitudes on the mind/body dichotomy and must recognize the validity of the empirical scientific theories centered about the idea of the embodied cognition. This theory can be justified as a result of the technology that makes observation of brain actions observable.
Classical cognitive science assumes that “cognition consists of the application of universal logical and formal rules that govern the manipulation of “internal†mental symbols, symbols that are supposedly capable of representing states of affairs in the “external†world.†Classical cognitive science treats mind as a computational program.
Alan Turing (1937) developed the idea of the human mind acting as a universal computing machine. Further developments of Turing’s ideas led to the development that the human brain was conceived as a physical symbol system capable of operating on symbols in a logical fashion. Hence the metaphor ‘Mind as Computer’ became the rage of the electronic and computer sciences.
The internal/external split characterizing this view illuminates the idea that this computational function can be detached from the body of the organism, which means that any number of contraptions might perform adequately the actions of the human mind.
First generation cognitive science developed a science of cognition constructed around the ‘Mind as Computer’ metaphor. This was labeled as AI (Artificial Intelligence).
SGCS (Second Generation Cognitive Science) developed a science of cognition constructed around the ‘Cognition in the Body’ metaphor. Rather than thinking of cognition as a manipulator of symbols, human cognition and our bodies are a gestalt; so integrated as to constitute a functioning unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts.
Quotes from The Meaning of the Body by Mark Johnson
Philosophy Needs a Visceral Connection
Philosophy Needs a Visceral Connection
coberst;1174498 wrote: A new manner of thinking was born in Greece in the five centuries BC. This might properly be called the Pagan Period. Webster informs me that a pagan is a follower of a polytheistic religion or one with little or no religion and who delight in sensual pleasures and material goods. Modern day America seems to fulfill at least one aspect of that definition of paganism.
The Pagan Period was followed by what might be called the Catholic Period. The Catholic Period was a millennium in which the Catholic Church dominated Western civilization.
The manner of thinking born in the Pagan Period and nurtured during the Catholic Period might properly be called the philosophical manner of thinking. Philosophy, born in Greece and nurtured during the millennium following, was grounded in the mind/body dichotomy introduced by Descartes under the heavy influence of an overseeing Catholic Church.
Sorry Coberst, but I don't agree with this. Greece, or more appropriately Athens, in the fifth century BC was the birthplace of Greek philosophy. They weren't pagans with no religion, they worshipped all the Gods on Olympus. There was a God to rule every facet of their lives. The richer romans, the upper classes of their society, delighted in 'sensual pleasures and material goods' but the ancient Greeks believed in their Gods and in sport, the beauty of the honed human body, and also in education, look at the later protagonists Pythagoras, Herodotus, Socrates. This was a time when art, architecture, literature and politics were all developed. Athens was ruled by an Oligarchy rather than in a pagan style.
And you can't say it was followed by a Catholic period. It was followed by the Persian Wars. When Alexander the Great died the Persian Empire collapsed and so they entered the Hellenistic age, with Greek kings setting up hereditary successions. The classical civilisation came to an end as the Greek Hellenistic kingdoms in the east fought the Carthaginian Republic in the west. Conflict then arose between Carthage and the Roman Republic where Rome was the strongest power and won the Punic Wars. The Roman Republic expanded throughout most of the then civilised world, during which time a new Roman arrogance manifested itself in provincial corruption, and a shameless lust for wealth and status among the privileged classes. So not fifth century BC Greeks at all but second century BC Romans. In the first century BC Rome expanded her borders even further but Rome was plagued by turbulent rulers such as Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Octavius, Augustus and Nero. The end of the century marked the end of the Roman Republic and the birth of Jesus Christ. The Roman Empire continued to expand briefly but was plagued by wars and government instability
Christianity began as a Jewish sect, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, in the eastern Mediterranean area and quickly grew in size and influence over a few decades. By the 4th century AD it had become the dominant religion within the Roman Empire. Catholicism is distinguished from other forms of Christianity in its particular understanding and commitment to tradition, the sacraments, the mediation between God and communion and the Papacy.
Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and "rock" of the Church. Jesus is written as saying "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." According to Catholic tradition Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, therefore the Pope is Peter's successor and the rightful superior of all other bishops. Peter presided over the Church of Rome for about 25 years until 67 A.D. when he was martyred by Nero. He was followed by Saint Linus, Pope Saint Anacletus and Pope Saint Clement I.
So a lot happened between the fifth century BC and the gradual beginnings of catholicism, but none of it was paganism.
The Pagan Period was followed by what might be called the Catholic Period. The Catholic Period was a millennium in which the Catholic Church dominated Western civilization.
The manner of thinking born in the Pagan Period and nurtured during the Catholic Period might properly be called the philosophical manner of thinking. Philosophy, born in Greece and nurtured during the millennium following, was grounded in the mind/body dichotomy introduced by Descartes under the heavy influence of an overseeing Catholic Church.
Sorry Coberst, but I don't agree with this. Greece, or more appropriately Athens, in the fifth century BC was the birthplace of Greek philosophy. They weren't pagans with no religion, they worshipped all the Gods on Olympus. There was a God to rule every facet of their lives. The richer romans, the upper classes of their society, delighted in 'sensual pleasures and material goods' but the ancient Greeks believed in their Gods and in sport, the beauty of the honed human body, and also in education, look at the later protagonists Pythagoras, Herodotus, Socrates. This was a time when art, architecture, literature and politics were all developed. Athens was ruled by an Oligarchy rather than in a pagan style.
And you can't say it was followed by a Catholic period. It was followed by the Persian Wars. When Alexander the Great died the Persian Empire collapsed and so they entered the Hellenistic age, with Greek kings setting up hereditary successions. The classical civilisation came to an end as the Greek Hellenistic kingdoms in the east fought the Carthaginian Republic in the west. Conflict then arose between Carthage and the Roman Republic where Rome was the strongest power and won the Punic Wars. The Roman Republic expanded throughout most of the then civilised world, during which time a new Roman arrogance manifested itself in provincial corruption, and a shameless lust for wealth and status among the privileged classes. So not fifth century BC Greeks at all but second century BC Romans. In the first century BC Rome expanded her borders even further but Rome was plagued by turbulent rulers such as Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Octavius, Augustus and Nero. The end of the century marked the end of the Roman Republic and the birth of Jesus Christ. The Roman Empire continued to expand briefly but was plagued by wars and government instability
Christianity began as a Jewish sect, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, in the eastern Mediterranean area and quickly grew in size and influence over a few decades. By the 4th century AD it had become the dominant religion within the Roman Empire. Catholicism is distinguished from other forms of Christianity in its particular understanding and commitment to tradition, the sacraments, the mediation between God and communion and the Papacy.
Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and "rock" of the Church. Jesus is written as saying "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." According to Catholic tradition Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, therefore the Pope is Peter's successor and the rightful superior of all other bishops. Peter presided over the Church of Rome for about 25 years until 67 A.D. when he was martyred by Nero. He was followed by Saint Linus, Pope Saint Anacletus and Pope Saint Clement I.
So a lot happened between the fifth century BC and the gradual beginnings of catholicism, but none of it was paganism.
Philosophy Needs a Visceral Connection
Rapunzel;1174655 wrote: Sorry
So a lot happened between the fifth century BC and the gradual beginnings of catholicism, but none of it was paganism.
I shall have to write Webster a nasty letter.
Webster informs me that a pagan is a follower of a polytheistic religion or one with little or no religion and who delight in sensual pleasures and material goods.
So a lot happened between the fifth century BC and the gradual beginnings of catholicism, but none of it was paganism.
I shall have to write Webster a nasty letter.
Webster informs me that a pagan is a follower of a polytheistic religion or one with little or no religion and who delight in sensual pleasures and material goods.
Philosophy Needs a Visceral Connection
coberst;1174783 wrote: I shall have to write Webster a nasty letter.
Webster informs me that a pagan is a follower of a polytheistic religion or one with little or no religion and who delight in sensual pleasures and material goods.
I'm sorry again Coberst
but it's not Websters definition thats wrong, it's your statement that the Ancient Greeks were pagans that was wrong. Sorry.
Webster informs me that a pagan is a follower of a polytheistic religion or one with little or no religion and who delight in sensual pleasures and material goods.
I'm sorry again Coberst
but it's not Websters definition thats wrong, it's your statement that the Ancient Greeks were pagans that was wrong. Sorry. Philosophy Needs a Visceral Connection
I think there are probably many different variations to the meaning of the term pagan, but I take it to mean uncivilised people, pre Christianity, so maybe scattered country folk, Druids, Wiccans, Celts and Picts perhaps. Maybe also Romanies, Gypsies, wandering folk.
BTW, I mean uncivilised as in not living in a City State, like the Ancient Greeks, but living so deeply in the countryside and being so isolated that they are not part of the town or city civilisation.
BTW, I mean uncivilised as in not living in a City State, like the Ancient Greeks, but living so deeply in the countryside and being so isolated that they are not part of the town or city civilisation.