LECTURE:
Hebrews, Greeks and Western Thought
Document: The Old Testament -- Exodus
Hebrew contributions
- invisible god
in age of visible gods surrounded by Meso, Egypt, later
Persia
prophets separate prayer from ritual more portable - study of the law
of God
law above kings
rabbis (who study Torah) instead of priests (divine)
Talmud page - cohesion without
a country: diaspora
not based on location in Canaan -- overrun many times
map - Messianic ideal
idea from Judges of leaders in time of need
developed further later
gives optimistic view to history, future not "glorious past" - separation of
religion and state
obey laws of dominant culture
relationship to God is separate
Greek contributions
- balance and moderation
cherished values: passion vs reason
even illness seen as resulting from imbalance
evident in art and architecture, science - moral analysis:
Socrates vs Sophists, questioning students
universal moral code
trial and death - political structure:
Plato ideal Republic of learned men, philosopher-king leads - scientific classification:
Aristotle
fields of knowledge -- poetics, politics, ethics, natural philosophy
tutor to Alexander the Great