EP 56: The Faith of the Ancients, pt. 2
“God orders me to fulfill the philosopher’s mission of searching into myself and other men...I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living.” ~Socrates In this second podcast in the series we dive in to two Ancient Greek writings - Oedipus Rex and Apology - and look for the ideas around the Mantic-Sophic debate that they bring to the forefront. In Oedipus Rex we see the true purpose Sophocles had in writing it - to convince the Greeks to let God lead their lives. In Apology we get the real story from Socrates when he tells us he has been accused only because he is devoted to his mission from God. These and other Ancient Greek writings, when seen through the eyes of the Mantic vs. Sophic frame of reference, come alive with a civilization that looks very much like our own. One where smart men who think they've discovered all the answers and no longer need God, seek to persuade others to abandon their faith and lean on reason alone. Yet the greats hold strong and stand up for God and truth - sometimes at the expense of their lives. Listener's Guide: Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast. 3:33 Greek culture at the time of Oedipus Rex 6:20 Sophocles' purpose 8:29 Background of the play 11:00 Oedipus commits to follow God 14:56 Oedipus begins to turn on everyone - reveals his Sophic beliefs 18:11 Oedipus' real history 22:00 How Oedipus was not "fated" 26:38 Background of Apology - conversion of Socrates and Plato 28:52 Why Socrates was on trial 31:50 Socrates' mission Quotes from this episode: “Both Plato and Aristotle placed inspiration above reason and moral insight…because it comes from God—for while reason is far from infallible, ‘the sureness of inspiration, on the other hand, is like lightning.'” ~from "Three Shrines: Mantic, Sophic and Sophistic" “‘When I was young,’ Plato wrote about Socrates, ‘I was fanatically devoted to the intellectual quest which they call natural science. Filled with pride and youthful conceit, I was convinced that I could know the reason for everything…I was always experimenting to discover the secrets of nature and life.’ He was convinced, as was Socrates, ‘that no one need look any farther than science for the answers to everything.’ That is the ‘Sophic’ state of mind clearly set forth. Then it was, he says, that he read the passage that completely changed his point of view: ‘There is a mind that orders things and causes all things to be.’ The idea electrified him: he turned from the majority to join a very small minority. ‘Shall we say,’ he asks in discussing the nature of the earth, ‘that God the Creator made it? Or would you prefer the teaching and language that everybody follows today—that it all came about simply by spontaneous cause and without any intelligence?’ Here we have the basic dichotomy: on the one hand, things just happen—the physics holds itself the explanation for everything; on the other hand, things do not just happen. Note well that in Plato’s day public opinion was all on the side of the former…At the end of life Socrates explained that he had taken the course he had through the years ‘because, as I said, the way was shown me by God through oracles and dreams and by whatever other means divine providence directs the actions of men.’ He was dead serious about this…'Now my concern is how I may present my soul to the judge in its healthiest condition.’ The next world and the judgment are his guiding light.” ~from "Three Shrines: Mantic, Sophic and Sophistic" “No, the Greeks did not have the true religion: even Plato didn’t, and he knew he didn’t. His Socrates is a seeker,
