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[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 16:53, 9 February 2009 (EST)

[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 16:53, 9 February 2009 (EST)

1.One of the greatest influences in Alexander the Great’s success was no doubt his tutoring/homeschooling by Aristotle.  It stands to reason (although ironically Aristotle would prefer experience) that if Alexander was tutored in his formative years by one of the most brilliant men ever, that he himself would pick up or learn some of that brilliance.  However, the question remains of why he would have been so ingenious militarily, since Aristotle was not primarily concerned with military studies.  Perhaps the Greek education was so great that it was able to cover and encompass all topics, including military skill.  Or perhaps Alexander was intrinsically brilliant himself.  More probably, both.  (And if we want to get speculative, you never know if Alexander didn’t have some sort of divine inspiration, since his achievements paved the way for the spread of Christianity.)

1.One of the greatest influences in [[Alexander the Great]]’s success was no doubt his tutoring/homeschooling by [[Aristotle]].  It stands to reason (although ironically Aristotle would prefer experience) that if Alexander was tutored in his formative years by one of the most brilliant men ever, that he himself would pick up or learn some of that brilliance.  However, the question remains of why he would have been so ingenious militarily, since Aristotle was not primarily concerned with military studies.  Perhaps the Greek education was so great that it was able to cover and encompass all topics, including military skill.  Or perhaps Alexander was intrinsically brilliant himself.  More probably, both.  (And if we want to get speculative, you never know if Alexander didn’t have some sort of divine inspiration, since his achievements paved the way for the spread of Christianity.)

2.Greek geography was unique because Greece as a whole was geographically small, and yet within Greece itself, geographic barriers like rivers, mountains, and peninsulas made further divisions in which individual city-states developed.  Because the city-states were geographically separate, they were able to develop stable governments more that the Middle East could, which was constantly ravaged by war.  Sometimes conflict caused democracy to disappear, but most of the time it came back shortly, after the conflict subsided.  (Note, Egypt and China were geographically isolated like Greece, so Greece is not exactly unique.)

2.Greek [[geography]] was unique because [[Greece]] as a whole was geographically small, and yet within Greece itself, geographic barriers like rivers, mountains, and peninsulas made further divisions in which individual city-states developed.  Because the city-states were geographically separate, they were able to develop stable governments more that the Middle East could, which was constantly ravaged by war.  Sometimes conflict caused [[democracy]] to disappear, but most of the time it came back shortly, after the conflict subsided.  (Note, [[Egypt]] and [[China]] were geographically isolated like Greece, so Greece is not exactly unique.)

3.The great advance in language was the change from cuneiform (symbols representing words) to letters/alphabets.  In cuneiform, complex ideas, verb tenses, and even new names and words would be very difficult to create.  But once phonetics were applied to individual letters, and syllables existed, it was possible to create new words.  An analogy would be this: in cuneiform, each word is a building, and each new word is a new building (unless cuneiform could be partially combined).  But in alphabets, each word is a building built from 22 or 26 or some number of bricks, and these bricks can be used again and again to build new words.

3.The great advance in [[language]] was the change from cuneiform (symbols representing words) to letters/alphabets.  In [[cuneiform]], complex ideas, verb tenses, and even new names and words would be very difficult to create.  But once phonetics were applied to individual letters, and syllables existed, it was possible to create new words.  An analogy would be this: in cuneiform, each word is a building, and each new word is a new building (unless cuneiform could be partially combined).  But in [[alphabet]]s, each word is a building built from 22 or 26 or some number of bricks, and these bricks can be used again and again to build new words.

4.Something fascinating about the Greeks is that even though they were the first civilization to discover relatively modern science, they also had scores of mythology to explain natural phenomena.  For example, the Sun was driven across the sky each day in a chariot, the horse and olive tree were invented by Poseidon and Athena respectively, and lighting was Zeus getting angry.  What I wonder is whether the Greeks believed these myths at the same time that better science existed or not, and what they thought of the myths after they discovered science.

4.Something fascinating about the Greeks is that even though they were the first [[civilization]] to discover relatively modern science, they also had scores of [[mythology]] to explain natural phenomena.  For example, the Sun was driven across the sky each day in a chariot, the horse and olive tree were invented by Poseidon and Athena respectively, and lighting was Zeus getting angry.  What I wonder is whether the Greeks believed these myths at the same time that better science existed or not, and what they thought of the myths after they discovered science.

5.Aesop’s fables are a great example of truth existing even without God’s revelation.   

5.[[Aesop’s fables]] are a great example of truth existing even without God’s revelation.   

According to Christianity, many of the morals in his fables would be true and good.  Non-Christians would say that Christianity stole its teachings from Aesop, Aristotle, and paganism- but Christians would say that God’s truth is so great that it can be discovered in degree by reason and good conduct alone.

According to Christianity, many of the morals in his fables would be true and good.  Non-Christians would say that Christianity stole its teachings from Aesop, Aristotle, and paganism- but [[Christian]]s would say that God’s truth is so great that it can be discovered in degree by reason and good conduct alone.

6.Plato.  He began to develop monotheism, based on the idea of a prime mover.  He considered there to be an ultimate being who was an ultimate embodiment of Good.  From his philosophy is derived Neo-Platonism, a variation of monotheism.  A teaching in Neo-Platonism is that the universe emanates from God without diminishing Him.  While these philosophies tend to consider God more of a transcendent “One” (similar to pantheism) than a living being with a will (as in Abrahamic monotheism), they do demonstrate a great point- the Greeks, the most logical civilization ever, began to envision monotheism without revelation.  This seems to me proof that belief in God is in fact logical.

6.[[Plato]].  He began to develop [[monotheism]], based on the idea of a prime mover.  He considered there to be an ultimate being who was an ultimate embodiment of Good.  From his philosophy is derived Neo-Platonism, a variation of monotheism.  A teaching in Neo-Platonism is that the universe emanates from God without diminishing Him.  While these philosophies tend to consider God more of a transcendent “One” (similar to pantheism) than a living being with a will (as in Abrahamic monotheism), they do demonstrate a great point- the Greeks, the most logical civilization ever, began to envision monotheism without revelation.  This seems to me proof that belief in God is in fact logical.

7.The American Indians.  (Who were not mentioned in the lecture but who did exist at the time.)  It’s interesting that they developed so little technology as opposed to almost every other civilization.  If they were descended from Noah and dispersed after the Tower of Babel, why would they be different than any other civilization that formed?  If the evolutionary story were true, there is really no better answer.  Perhaps the Indians were really not a primitive, savage, people.  Perhaps they had found human happiness more than other peoples, and they focused more on this than on military ambitions and technology.  If everyone was content with their friends and families, would there be technological growth at all?  Are technology, science, and war endeavors that man descends into when he is unhappy with the basic comforts of faith and family?  I wonder.

7.The American Indians.  (Who were not mentioned in the lecture but who did exist at the time.)  It’s interesting that they developed so little technology as opposed to almost every other civilization.  If they were descended from Noah and dispersed after the Tower of Babel, why would they be different than any other civilization that formed?  If the evolutionary story were true, there is really no better answer.  Perhaps the Indians were really not a primitive, savage, people.  Perhaps they had found human happiness more than other peoples, and they focused more on this than on military ambitions and technology.  If everyone was content with their friends and families, would there be technological growth at all?  Are technology, science, and war endeavors that man descends into when he is unhappy with the basic comforts of faith and family?  I wonder.