I believe in Capitalism. I believe that free markets create free
people. I believe the American system of government is most likely the
best that has ever existed. However, I do not believe this
is because of the black and white "Judeo-Christian" thinking that
certain politicians espouse.
As a Classics Major, I have a
certain vested interest in the preservation of Roman and Greek thought,
and it is in fact quite integral to our founding. The first point I
would make is this: Judeo-Christian thinking would never had existed in
the form it did (and does) for the founders, had it not been for the
philosophy of both Greece and Rome. Medieval Christian thinkers were
profoundly intertwined with Classical thought, as they were well versed
in the Latin of their Roman predecessors. Thinkers such as Thomas
Aquinas took Greek thinking and although it was pagan, grafted it to
their Christian faith as they recognized its intrinsic value.
Furthermore, the transmission of Platonic influences (and other schools
as well) of thinking into Christian thinking by scholars is massively
studied, but not something that is discussed in the mainstream. Greek
and Latin, more obviously were required to translate the Bible into
English, and there are serious issues in maintaining the intention of
authors via translation. Not to say that the Bible is a different
document in other languages, however important subtleties arise via the
nature of each language. The New Testament going from Greek (with a
historically large vocabulary for abstract thinking) to Latin (with a
more limited vocabulary for this kind of thought, see Aurelius, Marcus)
and then into English, the most specific of all these languages, poses
serious questions for anyone who takes faith seriously. The founders of
this country were acutely aware of this, and did not follow their faiths
without strengthening their views through scholarship.
The most obvious contribution to our way of life is the
governmental ideas crafted in the Ancient Mediterranean. Democracy is a
fundamentally Greek idea, and the Republican form of government first
existed in Rome. These facts really are quite obvious, but mainstream
politicians from all backgrounds and parties, discuss the virtues of
"Judeo-Christian" thinking without pointing out to what are more
foundational contributions to the American system. The De Legibus and De re publica of Cicero
discuss the merits of a divided government in the republican system, something that was known, and very apparent in the way our government
functions. I would challenge not only politicians (although this blog
post will never reach them, but that's okay anyways) but also our readers
to ponder Greco-Roman thinking and its importance to American
Government.
Also for those who may be interested more in this topic, I have found this book titled "The Golden Age of Classics in America" by
Carl J. Richard. I have not read it yet, but it is certainly on my
list. The book can be found here:
http://www.nbol-19.org/view_doc.php?index=9
I completely agree with the tremendous influence that the classical world has had upon shaping our way of life,and that the institutions of modern society are not cut and dried, black and white (although, being a classics and history major I will own to being slightly biased).
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the mindset of many today do not embrace the 'grey area' between disciplines -references to and learning from classical studies have been undergoing resistance for centuries. Our founding fathers, despite being classically educated as previously noted, themselves were of the sentiment that 'more practical knowledge' was needed: "We want hands, my lord, more than heads. The most intimate acquaintance with the classics will not remove our oaks; nor a taste for the 'Georgics' cultivate our lands. Many of our young people are knocking their heads against the 'Iliad', who should employ their hands in clearing our swamps and draining our marshes" (from 'Classica Americana: The Quest for Useful Knowledge in 18th Century America', pg. 63). What this -and people today- fails to note, is that the study of classics hones one's analytical skills, and is every bit as relevant to life today as it was in antiquity.
Platonic influence has a lot to do with Aristotle - it was admiration for the latter that contributed to Plato's transmission in the middle ages [Gott sei dank!]. Side note, if you get the chance, take a class with Prof. Owen Phelan [history department]. His focus is in the medieval ages, but he is classically trained and it shows. :)
The Judeo-Christians indeed are far more indebted to the Greeks and Romans than they admit, and for more than the philosophy. The popularity with which the 'new religion' was received, bestowed upon it a cult-like reverence initially, especially since early converts were allowed to practice Judaism and Christianity whilst still paying homage to their traditional gods. Interestingly, Christians and Jews were originally the ones banned from the cities; however, 'pagan', which for us today is equivalent to 'heathen' or 'neither Jewish nor Christian', derives from 'paganus' which means 'countryside' and was applied to the Greeks and Romans who were pushed out of the cities into the surrounding country for adhering to their traditional beliefs.
I look forward to reading that book [in my free time]. You might find "Latin for the 21st Century" an interesting read, as well [albeit far less politically inspiring, forsitan].