Greek Power Point1.4 Segment 1

Harmony: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Ancient Greek Philosophy & Theater

OVERVIEW: Course Literature & History

YOUR GOALS ARE TO Understand the historical context of the Theban plays. Understand the factors that influenced the thinking of Ancient Greek society. Understand the influence of Greek philosophy and mathematics on Western thought. Understand the purpose and importance of aesthetics regarding fine art, sculpture, architecture, and music. Apply what you have learned to an analysis of the Theban plays. . .

Age-Old Profound Questions What is Real and What is Not? Why Are We Here? How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Headed? . The Big Bang (s)

Asking Age-Old Profound Questions Has occurred as long as humankind has had the ability to reason. Has propelled civilization forward. Could lead to our destruction … depending on how we act on their answers. .

What is Philosophy?

PHILOSOPHY Asks Life’s Most Fundamental Profound Questions

Profound Questions Are often simple YET… Are philosophically “deep.” . . .

Their Answers Are sometimes simple YET… Often paradoxical or even unknowable. . . .

But the important thing is… That we NEVER STOP Asking them of ourselves And our culture. . . .

“ The UNEXAMINED LIFE is not worth living. ” Socrates before his death in 399 B.C.

PHILOSOPHY: The Six Branches Q: Can you name at least two?

PHILOSOPHY’s Bodhi Tree: . Logic Ethics . Epistemology Aesthetics . Politics Metaphysics .

WHAT IS BEAUTY ?

Aesthetics

WHAT IS TRUTH ?

Epistemology

WHAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS BEST ?

Politics

WHAT IS REALITY ?

Metaphysics

WHAT IS RIGHT ?

Ethics

WHAT IS GOOD

THINKING ?

Logic

And the Granddaddy of all Profound Questions …

What is…

How Did We Get Here?

Socrates How Did We Get Here? And..

Art Shmart Q : Why Should We Care About BEAUTY in Light of Those Other Big Questions? Aesthetics

Q: Why Should We Care About Aesthetics in Light of These Bigger Questions? A: Because the Former Helps Us Answer The Latter.

“ Beauty is Truth and Truth beauty. That is all ye know on Earth and all ye need to know.” John Keats (1795-1821) Romantic Period

Two pts. to Keats for using CHIASMUS to emphasize the final importance of “all ye need” to know in life. STYLE ALERT!

CHIASMUS From the Greek letter “CHI” written as

Beauty Truth Truth Beauty CHIASMUS

Two pts. to YOU if you are the first to raise your hand and identify the type of verbal omission Keats uses to elevate his style to suit the loftiness of his meaning. “ Beauty is Truth and Truth beauty…” BONUS !

“ Beauty is Truth and Truth beauty. That is all ye know on Earth and all ye need to know.” John Keats (1795-1821) Romantic Period

If you know BEAUTY , you know TRUTH . If you know TRUTH , you can begin to understand life’s profound questions .

If A = B and B = C…

Then A = C

Transitive Property of Equality

THEREFORE: If Beauty is Truth and Truth is Beauty … Art Says…

THEN: To behold and to study me is To know all. Art Says…

     Aristotle says, By the way…

I perfected the logical syllogism as a method for discovering TRUTH . IF, THEN… Aristotle says, F.Y.I. …

The Big Bang (s)

ANCIENT GREEK PERIOD Theban Plays Oedipus, OaC, Antigone

HIGH MIDDLE AGES Dante’s Inferno

The Merchant of Venice Romeo & Juliet RENAISSANCE / ELIZABETHAN

ROMANTIC PERIOD A Tale of Two Cities (Setting)

VICTORIAN PERIOD A Tale of Two Cities Silas Marner

MODERN PERIOD West Side Story 12 Angry Men

POST-MODERN PERIOD Self-Help Book

History has MOTION.

George Friedrich Hegel German Philosopher 1770-1831 POLITICS

POLITICS

History has always had MOTION.

Even since the beginning of the universe. (1879-1955)

History is a series of waves in which civilizations undulate back and forth.

Light Sound Matter "It followed from the special theory of relativity that mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the same thing -- a somewhat unfamiliar conception for the average mind. Furthermore, the equation E is equal to m c-squared , in which energy is put equal to mass, multiplied by the square of the velocity of light, showed that very small amounts of mass may be converted into a very large amount of energy and vice versa. The mass and energy were in fact equivalent, according to the formula mentioned above. This was demonstrated by Cockcroft and Walton in 1932, experimentally." (1879-1955)

With each new synthesis, history and civilization come closer to perfection – now that’s progress! Order eventually arises from Chaos G.F. Hegel German Philosopher 1770-1831

Pirsig’s Ratchet ANOTHER METAPHOR PHOR PROGRESS

Pirsig 'Lila' ch. 11: “ A DYNAMIC advance is meaningless unless it can find some STATIC pattern with which to protect itself from degeneration back to the conditions that existed before the advance was made. Evolution can't be a continuous forward movement. It must be a process of ratchet like steps in which there is a DYNAMIC movement forward up some new incline and then, if the result looks successful, a STATIC latching-on of the gain that has been made; then another DYNAMIC advance, then another STATIC latch.”

PROGRESS TIME

Post-Modern Era

OR…

Post-Modern Era

MAN…

E + D = X

Pyongyang has issued a series of threats, including one to "destroy the earth " if the US resorted to nuclear war against it. Nuclear Strike Threat Grows “ Rogue nations could have ICBMs sooner than U.S. planners thought.” John Gittings in Hong Kong and Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington Tuesday December 24, 2002 The Guardian

ETHICS

Ivy Mike

The Next Big Bang?