Sunday, June 26, 2011

Raphael. The School of Athens. 1509-10



Our kids should know the figures in this painting. What did they know? What did  they do? What did they bequeath to us?

In our times, we are forgetting mankind's astonishing intellectual heritage. It is a heritage that began in Greece in the Axial Age and flourished in Christian Europe. It is the source of our civilization-- our freedom, our science, and our art. 

Even Nietzche, who hated Christianity and extolled atheist Will-to-Power, understood what the loss of this cultural heritage would mean to man. It drove him mad.

We don't even understand what is happening to us. 


4 comments:

  1. Flourished in christian europe? Really? I rather thought that it was christians who burned the library at Alexandria, who martyred Hypatia, who destroyed every scrap of parchment they could find that was not a prayer book or some preposterous "lives of the saints" fable. Fortunate for us that the knowledge of the greeks found haven in the orient, to be rediscovered once trade picked up again after the crusades.

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  2. Yeah the Christian Empires didn't find reason and science. Remember the enlightenment? Guess we can add history to the list of "Subjects Dr Egnor pretends to know about".

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  3. paulmurray Wrote...

    Flourished in christian europe? Really? I rather thought that it was christians who burned the library at Alexandria, who martyred Hypatia, who destroyed every scrap of parchment they could find that was not a prayer book or some preposterous "lives of the saints" fable. Fortunate for us that the knowledge of the greeks found haven in the orient, to be rediscovered once trade picked up again after the crusades.
    Your historical ignorance is absolutely astounding. You come off like Mr Chekov.
    On the library, from wiki: "Plutarch (AD 46–120) wrote that during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC Julius Caesar accidentally burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships to frustrate Achillas' attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea.[2] After its destruction, scholars used a "daughter library" in a temple known as the Serapeum, located in another part of the city."
    So I imagine you're talking about the burning of the Serapeum by the Romans (Christians at this point) in AD389? This was an offshoot library of 'secret' works held by the Bull Cult of Serapis. It was one of many 'idol' temples destroyed by the rabidly intolerant Emperor Theodosius I and his legions. You should render unto Caesar what is Caesar's...no? Read a book.
    You note that the works of the Greeks found 'haven' in the Orient? How did these volumes, preserved by Byzantine Monks (Christians) find their way into Muslim archives? One must wonder if it was the same way those Monasteries/Arcives were sacked / burned? But of course this is all hundreds of years AFTER the burning of the Library at Alexandria. It seems the order of the past is not too important to those who worship the future...
    'The Christians' for the most part were making a living and feeding their children. The ROMANS, however, had a history of destroying offending Gods and their collections. A history dating back to BEFORE Christianity by CENTURIES ;) That would be like blaming Muhammad for the Bedouin's nomadic life. Hypatia was allegedly kiled by a mob of Christians for spreading materialist doctrine. While I would never condone mob justice as a Christian, I must say: If that is martyrdom, your God must be reason.
    That explains your infantile ideas on the 'Enlightenment'.
    You do note, however, that the Crusaders brought back much of the stolen works of the Greeks after the reconquest of Spain and the Holy Land:
    rediscovered once trade picked up again after the crusades.
    What about the trade before? How did it survive?
    Funny they didn't burn it all, isn't it? Doesn't quite fit your paradigm.
    You should have paid more attention in HS.

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  4. Our courageous pal 'Anonymous' wrote:
    Yeah the Christian Empires didn't find reason and science. Remember the enlightenment? Guess we can add history to the list of "Subjects Dr Egnor pretends to know about".
    Remember the 'enlightenment'? The siege of Vienna? The 'Terror'? The slave trade? Yes, I recall the enlightenment!
    I also recall the Christian EMPIRE that opposed such nastiness and helped spread science and reason about the the entire world: The BRITISH EMPIRE. Quite a few people of note found their way about and into the annals of scientific history (not to mention the arts and philosophy) thanks to that Christian Empire. People like your hero, Charles Darwin.
    In fact, why not tell me who else built railways about the earth, battled slavery and piracy, built hospitals, and educated the masses? Was it Robespierre? The Moors? Who BUT the Christian Empires had the introspection to (and will to) modernize and change. Who else had the MORALITY built within a code? The Aztecs perhaps? No the, Shintos? Or maybe the Tartars? No. I have it the Turks? No... It must have been all the Atheist Empires!
    You, dear Anon (Paul x2?), are simply an ingrate; a half educated one at that. You read like a Muslim propagandist.
    Finally on the subject of Dr Egnor's history awareness: I hold 3 degrees in that field, and have seen no reason to doubt this Neurosurgeon's classical education. As a serving officer in a NATO force, I will also add he has a pragmatic view of the situation TODAY. Know the past to understand the future.
    You don't have to be a BRAIN SURGEON to pick up a book, even an Atheist should be able to read - provided they can 'belly-feel' the subject and it is 'plus good'!

    To All:
    This just goes to show yet ANOTHER pretense of the GNU Atheist movement. They are almost without err, Historical Revisionists.

    Mr Chekov INDEED!

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