It's amazing to me how much they did know; and how much modern science owes to them, though this is rarely acknowledged nowadays.
I am speaking of the presocratic and classical philosophers of ancient Athens, and preeminently of Plato.
Regarding Plato's unparalleled contribution to human thought, it has been said that "all of philosophy is but a recapitulation of Plato." Plato himself, at least in part, is a recapitulation of the great thinkers of an age older than his own; e.g., Pythagoras and Heraclitus especially.
Yet Plato was a true original in his discoveries. I believe it was he who first identified and "isolated" psyche — self, soul — as an object of study. It was he who sought the relations between the Kosmos and the Unknown God "Beyond" the Kosmos, which gives the Kosmos its Order.
Indeed, "order" is what the Greek word kosmos means. It was Plato's insight that this "order" could not arise sui generis from materials available in the Kosmos itself, but has a transcendent Source, "located" entirely outside the Kosmos. He also said that, in relation to this Kosmos, man was "mikcrokosmos," the eikon or image of the Kosmos, who recapitulates within himself all levels of cosmic hierarchical order.
Plato characterized the God Beyond as Nous, or Divine Mind. It turns out the highest level of the hierarchy of cosmic order is Divine Nous (though it is not "in" this world). At next level below, we find human nous. Thus Plato suggests that God and man can "resonate" together — even though for Plato, apparently the God Beyond has no characterization as Personality.
So I started writing an essay. I'll very likely finish it, too; but wonder whether anyone would find it appropriate to this discussion!
It wouldn't have much to do with UFOs. That seems to be the main topic of interest right now.
Thank you ever so much for your reference to the Great White Throne Judgment. Indeed, in all likelihood the vast majority of us sinners may well have a lot to be sorry for on that day.... especially as we are confronted by all the "roads not taken"....
You had me right there!
"Indeed, in all likelihood the vast majority of us sinners may well have a lot to be sorry for on that day.... especially as we are confronted by all the "roads not taken"...."
Or indeed when we came across a Ferrari "in a field" and thinking we knew it all,jumped in and floored it! 8-)
But I do hope you'll post it as a thread of its own, hopefully in the Religion Forum or News/Activism where more posters will see it. News/Activism may be swamped by all the scandal coverage though, so the Religion Forum might be better over the next few weeks.
Plato characterized the God Beyond as Nous, or Divine Mind. It turns out the highest level of the hierarchy of cosmic order is Divine Nous (though it is not "in" this world). At next level below, we find human nous. Thus Plato suggests that God and man can "resonate" together — even though for Plato, apparently the God Beyond has no characterization as Personality.
They are deep issues I suspect many consider at quiet times throughout their lives, when they aren't being bombarded by the necessities of day-to-day affairs.
At least for me, the quiet times are when the big questions come to mind, e.g. "Why this instead of something else or nothing at all?"