Fun fact: the Italian Renaissance and the enlightenment period of Europe were founded on the revival of study into Pagan philosophy and literature (aka: studia humanitatis). When we think of the hallowed "Western values" which have come down to us today, it is primarily the Pagans to whom we owe this legacy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitas
The story of the arabs curating Greek writings then those coming back is one of the most interesting out there.
@sun
Yeah. Mainly. But in that context it wasn't limited to the geography of modern day Greece, but to the whole empire from Western Asia and North Africa to Western Europe. Greeks didn't exist in a vacuum. Arguably much of the foundations of Hellenic philosophy are rooted in Vedism and Buddhism by way of Alexander's campaign into India and the philosophers (eg. Pyrrho) he brought with him.
Largely it was Greek focused also because the literature in question was hoarded away in church libraries by scholars who almost exclusively spoke Greek and Latin at the time. Even the earliest complete copies of the OT and NT were written in Greek. The Torah as such didn't even exist in writing until the 2nd-3rd century CE (ie. Septuagint), and the earliest evidence of it's practice whatsoever goes back to at most 150 BCE. To say nothing of the hermeneutics which are practically indistinguishable from Platonism in one form or another.
Yeah. Mainly. But in that context it wasn't limited to the geography of modern day Greece, but to the whole empire from Western Asia and North Africa to Western Europe. Greeks didn't exist in a vacuum. Arguably much of the foundations of Hellenic philosophy are rooted in Vedism and Buddhism by way of Alexander's campaign into India and the philosophers (eg. Pyrrho) he brought with him.
Largely it was Greek focused also because the literature in question was hoarded away in church libraries by scholars who almost exclusively spoke Greek and Latin at the time. Even the earliest complete copies of the OT and NT were written in Greek. The Torah as such didn't even exist in writing until the 2nd-3rd century CE (ie. Septuagint), and the earliest evidence of it's practice whatsoever goes back to at most 150 BCE. To say nothing of the hermeneutics which are practically indistinguishable from Platonism in one form or another.
@sj_zero
Yes. It's also highly overblown. Arab philosophy is basically just NeoPlatonism with a lick of Semitic paint on top.
Yes. It's also highly overblown. Arab philosophy is basically just NeoPlatonism with a lick of Semitic paint on top.
@toiletpaper I am not very convinced of buddhist influence on greek thought, you can make some parallels in the presocratics but I think it's parallel construction because none of it is very extensive.
@toiletpaper @sj_zero they get points for preserving it but did they innovate much?
I'm more interested in the idea of this ancient work surviving for millennia elsewhere and then triggering a literal Renaissance when it comes back.
@sun
You could be right. The main case for it is Pyrrho. That said, the earliest temples and writings of Buddhism were created by Greek priests in Asia minor. Also the artistic tradition (eg. sculpture) is widely held to be of Greek origin. For instance that gigantic cliff face in Afghanistan (aka: Bactria) that the Taliban blew up several years ago.
You could be right. The main case for it is Pyrrho. That said, the earliest temples and writings of Buddhism were created by Greek priests in Asia minor. Also the artistic tradition (eg. sculpture) is widely held to be of Greek origin. For instance that gigantic cliff face in Afghanistan (aka: Bactria) that the Taliban blew up several years ago.
There's some stuff they seem to have done right, considering the etymological roots of algebra, alchemy, and alcohol. The Islamic golden age and it's aftermath should be a lesson but our ruling class doesn't read history.
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@toiletpaper @sj_zero I have just been suspicious about it because other areas are questionable like talking about how "islam invented modern clocks". I did a deep dive into it and basically simple clockwork knowledge was retransmitted back to the West via a single Arabic language book that didn't have anything in it that Greeks didn't already invent.
@sj_zero @toiletpaper I don't want to put down the islamic golden age, I don't think anyone disputes algebra for example