The Iliad - Homer, Books XIII-XV: Zeus (fine, I'll call him 'Jove', even though my translation has slipped up at least once and called him 'Zeus')...Jove is distracted so Neptune starts whipping up on the Trojans. The battle rages on and Agamemnon wants to run away (again) until Ulysses rebukes him. Juno tricks Jove into sleeping with her while Neptune runs havoc. Hector is wounded and leaves the field. Jove awakens, realizes what's happened and rebukes Juno (who lies about it). Jove then foretells all that will happen and tells Neptune to stop. Hector healed and comes back to the fight, seizing a ship, but unable to burn it because Ajax keeps fighting off the guys carrying fire up. The virtue of the gods falls lower and lower each time. The men are more virtuous than the gods.
Camillus - Plutarch: (446-365 B.C.) This early Roman was five times chosen dictator (which only lasts a short while), and is "styled a second founder of Rome". Furious (yes, Furious) Camillus wasn't born into a family of distinction, but raised himself to honor. Ended a siege of Veii by digging under the walls. Then became despised by the Romans by re-entering Rome in a pompous way. Then won war over Faliscans by endearing himself to the enemy (spared their children when their teacher betrayed them to the Romans), causing them to give up without a fight. Romans upset there were no spoils, Camillus goes into exile. Later, Rome is taken by the Gauls, Camillus comes to the rescue and is made dictator again. Defeats Gauls. Made dictator a third time in war against Latins; he won by sneaking up and firing their wood barricades. Goes to war again later, though now only advising younger general because he's too old. Has to take over anyway because younger guy's losing, leads to victory. Made dictator a fourth time to address issue of sedition, then fifth time to defeat Gauls (again). Dies in a plague outbreak and "more lamented than all the rest put together". So much war and chaos in this period; makes one long for the pax romana (peace of Roman rule). Camillus just seemed to be a very level-headed man who could think clearly in all the chaos. And this quote tickled me so I have to add it: "Manlius, a man of consular dignity, of strong body and great spirit..." If I ever invent a superhero I'd be tempted to call him 'Manlius' and put this as the intro to his Saturday-morning cartoon.
Second Essay Concerning Civil Government - John Locke, Ch. I-IV: Authority being derived from the "eldest" family in descent from Adam is an invalid justification for authority and just brings force and violence. Political power equals the right to make, execute laws. State of Nature: men have "perfect freedom to order their actions...within the bounds of the law of Nature". Man naturally equal to each other, but this freedom is not license. Law of Nature: reason, which "teaches all mankind... that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions" because all men are God's property. This gives man two rights: 1) right to punish any criminal (Gen. 9 mandate and Cain's concern about universal retaliation); 2) injured parties can demand retribution. But this punishment will be uneven, hence God grants governments. State of war exists when one claims illegitimate authority over a person or their property. Slavery wrong because it perpetuates a state of war and men have no right to forfeit their whole lives like that because only God has that kind of generative power over man. Whence the fall? Again - as has been asked of many authors thus far - can't reason be abused? His notion of sentencing for crimes seems too vague as well, but maybe he's not shooting for particular principles though. I still don't get why there couldn't be a natural, legitimate heritable authority structure (a la Aragorn). I suppose the answer to that is in the first essay.
Federalist Papers #57 - Hamilton or Madison: Third objection to the House: it will only consist of elites. This is the "most extraordinary" objection because it strikes at the root of republican government. Aim of every political constitution: 1) find wisest, most virtuous rulers; 2) "take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous". People elect them and must be convinced by their character. Five reasons given as to why they're accountable to the people. Everyone can vote or run, no property/class/income limitations. The thrust and strength of the argument is that they're elected by the people, and that's the security to maintain the best representatives. But there are de facto limitations, even if there aren't in theory. What if the people have no problem with career politicians, or entire families of career politicians? Haven't they then become elites? How much money does it take to run a campaign today after all? On the other hand, at least there is more "media transparency" today than there was in the past (in theory, at least).
Beginnings and Endings - Sir James Jeans: The sun's constantly losing mass. Is the universe a cyclical system or a one-way system, like a stream? Cause of universe's animation is energy. First law of thermodynamics states the conservation of energy. But the second law shows that energy is (almost) always flowing downhill, being transformed. It can't go downhill forever and will eventually lose all capacity for change. Life is probably rare in the universe. Problems for life on earth could come about by gradual loss of sunlight, or a catastrophe if the sun goes nova. If, on the other hand, we as a species live on and learn virtually everything there is to know, we'll be bored and purposeless. But the future grants "almost endless possibilities and hope". Lot learned about novas since then. It's also both interesting and sad to see him try to work out the struggle between the oppressiveness of a vast mechanical universe without God, and the romantic leap of faith in the value of human productivity and the (groundless) "hope" for humanity. It's almost exactly what you'd see in something like Doctor Who. Star Trek will embrace the hope but won't admit the oppressiveness. But, if it's all going to end anyway, what's this hope business? Kudos to Doctor Who for being (somewhat) honest, but then they look foolish for the irrational leap of hope in a humanity that's doomed to die in the end. This is the dilemma of modernism; almost makes one sympathize with postmodernism. C.S. Lewis ends one of his books (I think the last in the Narnia chronicles) describing how heaven is an endless stream of new adventures from which we'll never get bored. Boredom is a symptom of a life without God.
The Philosophy of Common Sense - Voltaire: "Dictionary" entries - basically his views on various topics. Arts: recent birth of arts doesn't prove recent formation of the earth. Astrology: sometimes right, but nobody abandons it when it's wrong. Authority: "never seek to use authority where it is only a question of reason". Authors: if you want to write, write something new or charming, otherwise don't. Concatenation of Events: universe is determined, "the present is pregnant with the future." Equality: all men equal by natural capacities, would be equal in fact if not for needs. "All men born with...violent liking for domination, wealth, pleasure." Friendship: only between virtuous people; "the wicked have only accomplices". Laws: no country has good laws because situations always changing. Novelties: "'the mind is carried away by novelty'...motto of the human race." Reason: tell everyone (religious leaders, it seems) the truth and they'll just punish you. Self-love: all have it; "instrument of preservation". Truth: "Pilate had very little curiosity." Truth is correspondence. Can't know anything about history? Tyranny: one tyrant better than many. Some good things here. He tends to get wacko vindictive and even irrational when he's talking about religion. What in the world happened to this guy when he was young?
Here's the readings for this week:
- The Iliad of Homer, Books XVI-XVIII (GBWW Vol. 3, pp. 189-233)
- “On Education” by Arthur Schopenhauer (GGB Vol. 7, pp. 197-203)
- Second Treatise on Civil Government by John Locke, Ch. V-VI (GBWW Vol. 33, pp. 30-42)
- Federalist #58 (GBWW Vol. 40, pp. 179-182)
- “The Chemical History of a Candle” by Michael Faraday, Lectures I-II (GGB Vol. 8, pp. 368-390)
- The Way Things Are (or On the Nature of Things) by Lucretius, Book I (GBWW Vol. 11, pp. 1-15)
No comments:
Post a Comment