Free Essay

Plato and Christianity

In:

Submitted By monroe9428
Words 308
Pages 2
Plato believed that there was another world beyond this changeable and destructible one in which we live, one consisting of unchanging eternal Forms. He asserted that what we see and touch are only very distantly related to the ultimate realities that exist. He created the famous comparison of the human condition with that of prisoners chained facing the inner wall of a cave, so that all they can see are simply shadows of objects in the cave, knowing nothing of the world outside.
“To Plato, there was no natural sense on how men ought to live, education was to be the key to the construction of a better society; from the "educated" would arise the elite to rule society. Plato thought it essential that a strict threefold class division be maintained. In addition to the rulers, the Philosopher-kings, there were to be "Auxiliaries" (soldiers, police and civil servants) and the "Workers" (the rest of us).” - Luigi Miraglia (1846-1903), professor of the Philosophy of Law in the University of Naples
"I do believe that there are gods and that in a far higher sense than that in which any of my accusers believe in them." – Plato, the Republic
Most Christians would have to agree in some way or another to the way Plato describes the human condition. In that we can only see one version of what we have here on Earth. That there is indeed a perfect flower, perfect sky, perfect water, etc, but we have to wait to get to Heaven to indeed experience them.
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create a Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” (Isaiah 65:17-19)

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Plato vs. Christianity

...Throughout time there have been many different views of what afterlife is. Plato and Christianity are no different; between the two ideas there are many similarities and differences that can be distinguished. Plato believed in the idea of immortality and dualism. He believed that the soul was immortal both before and after death, and that the body was mortal and ceased to function after death. Plato believed that your soul has always existed and always will, and that your embodied life as a human is just a small part of your existence. Plato believed that the disembodied soul was the highest form of survival because the immaterial realm of the forms is the highest form of existence. In other words Plato suggests that your embodied existence is not nearly as ideal as your disembodied existence. The basis of Christianity is bodily resurrection. Like Plato’s theory Christianity also believes in the cessation of bodily functions after death, and also believes that the soul does exist for a time disembodied. However in Christianity the soul begins at birth and is not immortal, it dies with the body, and then is resurrected after an unknown period of time by God. Christianity suggests the theory that people follow the Christian Doctrine of Predestination. This is essentially the theory that humans cannot chose whether they will be saved to heaven and from hell. It is the idea that some humans are chosen by God as elect, and some humans are damned by God. In other words; a person can...

Words: 331 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Plato vs. Christianity

...Plato and Christianity are views with different ideas of afterlife. They differ in several aspects but both share the belief that the human person is immortal and death is the cessation of bodily functions but one’s soul exists for a time disembodied. Plato believed in immortality and dualism (the idea that humans are composed of two substances, a material substance or body and an immaterial substance or soul). Plato believed that the soul was immortal in both directions, past and future, in which you’ll always exist and believed that humans will survive past their deaths. Plato believed that souls were simple and that simple things could not be destroyed because they don’t have parts, hence leading to the idea that the soul survives death. After death the soul is disembodied. Plato believed that this state was the highest form of survival because the immaterial realm of the Forms is the highest form of existence. The physical world is the lower kind of existence because it’s constantly changing unlike the immaterial world. Hence, bodily existence is less perfect than disembodied existence. Christianity also believes in an immortal soul and that death is a transition to disembodied existence, however it carries the idea that this disembodied state is temporary until the act of resurrection performed by God (he creates a new body for the soul). Thus Christians believe the human person is mortal and death is the extinction of consciousness, but at resurrection God re-creates...

Words: 513 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Aristotle Vs Parable Of The Cave

...Two of the most famous philosophers of the 4th Century B.C. were Plato and Aristotle. Plato’s philosophy was based on “arête”. He created the theory of Forms and with the Parable of the Cave to help explain his theory. He wanted to understand the soul. He believed the soul was a Form. This influenced modern Western ideology of Christianity because Plato suggests the Form occupied our bodies. According to Plato, “when the body dies, the soul is judged and sent for 1,000 years to tenfold rewards in heaven or tenfold punishments in the underworld” (Morris and Powell 399). Aristotle, on the other hand, was more of a rational and logical thinker. He created the theory of potentiality, collected data for more rigorous rules of logic, and studied...

Words: 308 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Final

...!1 Michael James August 22, 2015 Philosophy 001 Final Exam Final Before taking philosophy, there was not any knowledge in my mind concerning the subject. After taking the subject and learning through the readings, it has broadened my mind to what philosophy actually means. Philosophy is the study of the nature of knowledge, reality and existence in part with academic discipline. Through the readings, there became an understanding through these philosophers writings on their view of different topics. 1. Taking on the question “What is Philosophy?”, there has been more of a realization than just the question itself. In the readings, Fieser, Russell, and Socrates were at ends with how they felt with their logic. They had a different way of viewing everything. Between philosophy and life upon finishing this course, I have come to learn more than I though I would have but also my view changed on certain parts. To reference philosophy, many philosophers have a way of questing whether God truly exist(ed) or was he a made-up immortal that humans gave life and now worship and in that it makes me questions the same thing. “Mortals suppose that gods are born and have clothes and voices and shapes like their own.”(Fieser 14) There is not much evidence to prove that God was a human being and that he was born in Jerusalem in the years between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C. “A man who, having the knowledge and power required to makes his children good, chose instead to make them...

Words: 1135 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Ancient Greek Philosophy and the New Testament

...Sheila Castillo Survey of Literature 1 (LITR 1157) Miss Sangster March 27, 2014 Plato, Ancient Greek Philosopher relation to the New Testament Christopher Stead, a professor of the University of Cambridge argues in his Book Philosophy in Christian Antiquity, that Christianity was influenced by panoply of Greek philosophy, including Plato (Shandon L. Guthrie par. 2). Plato was an Athenian citizen of high status, a classical philosopher that lived from 429–347 Before Christ Existed. He died at age 81; he believed strongly in logic and reason. Moreover, his works contained discussions in aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology, and the philosophy of language (Plato par 1). Although Plat existed way “Before Christ Existed” and even before the New Testament was developed, his philosophy seems to have some sort of relation to The New Testament and as Professor Shandon Guthrie mentioned the New Testament for a fact was influenced by Greek philosophers, especially Plato. Their commonalities involve their belief of the immortality of our human souls and dualism, the theory that human beings are made up of two independent constituents, the body and the mind or soul. These facts will present how Plato and the New Testament had relations of their views. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28, NIV). Firstly, stated this bible verse it emphasizes...

Words: 904 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Plato

...Plato was born around the year 428 BC in Athens. His father died while Plato was young, and his mother remarried to Pyrilampes, in whose house Plato would grow up. Plato's birth name was Aristocles, and he gained the nickname Platon, meaning broad, because of his broad build. His family had a history in politics, and Plato was destined to a life in keeping with this history. He studied at a gymnasium owned by Dionysios, and at the palaistra of Ariston of Argos. When he was young he studied music and poetry. After the Peloponnesian War, his mother's brother and uncle tried to persuade him to join in the oligarchical rules of Athens. Instead, Plato joined his two older brothers in becoming a student of Socrates. The trio of Plato, Socrates (his teacher) and Aristotle (his student) they laid the fundamentals of Western philosophy. Socrates has a large influence of his thinking and teachings. Plato began his philosophical career under the guidance of Socrates. When Socrates died he traveled to Egypt and Italy studied in Pythagoras and then remained as an advisor for the rulers of Syracuse. When he returned to Athens around the age of forty, Plato founded a school in Athens, in a grove sacred to the demigod Academus, called the Academy, where he tried to impart the Socratic style of teaching to his students. It was, in effect, a university of higher learning, which included physical science, astronomy, and mathematics, as well as philosophy. In addition to presiding over the Academy...

Words: 564 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Michelangelo

... Bill Rubinstine Writers Workshop 1 GH101 Claim on MICHELANGELO philosophy to that of PLATO According to Michelangelo, beauty of life lies within the virtue of nature. His art work always depicted the perfection of culture and time. For him it was all about deep knowledge of specific sense of human behavior and discipline, he was highly drawn towards Christianity which can be clearly seen in his all work for example : Moses, Bound Slave, David, Peta etc. Michelangelo was a divinely inspired genies he always focused on the importance of idea and freedom to break rules. In his sculpture Bound Slave we can see Michelangelo’s neoplatonic believes , not only soul needs to struggle to escape from this immortal body but also his work gives a feeling as if soul is struggling to escape from stone, which can be termed as pagan perfection merge with Christian faith. According to Plato, average person is not able to see the reality and truth of living and life because he is living in his own world of possibilities. Plato’s writings cannot be easily assimilated rather he wrote in such a way that human can reach to their own conclusions of life and destination. Plato believed that human can achieve whatever they wants only if he/she can go through the process of learning which is difficult , so he bound himself in a self constructed cage with the...

Words: 310 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Plato's Impact On Greece And The Whole World

...From 471- 322 BC, Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato made a huge impact on Greece and the whole world. These men were some of the most influential and stellar philosophers of their time. With their discoveries and teachings, they have shaped the basis of Western Philosophy. Socrates was the first of the bunch, but indeed he passed along his knowledge and beliefs to his student, Plato. When Socrates died, Plato began to spread his teaching to his students. While teaching, he met a young determined man with the name of Aristotle; who also shared the passion and the thirst to discover to capacity and spread knowledge. In 470 BC, the expansion of knowledge in Western philosophy started with Socrates. Socrates wasn’t the son of a noble family,...

Words: 971 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

A Philosphical Aspect of the Movie Matrix

...the movie, thoughts and philosophy. This movie is like a harmony between thoughts of every historical period. Firstly, every character name is chose especially in this movie. For example, In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the God of dreams. Furthermore, “morph” means “morphine” which is used in medicine as tranquillizer. Morpheus lives in another world and he always be stand by Neo. Neo is nick name of Thomas Anderson in matrix. According to mysticism Neo is referred to as "the One". In Christianity “one” symbolizes Jesus Christ. The name Thomas is Hebrew and means "twin." As Thomas, he works for a software company. As Neo, he is a computer hacker in matrix who wakes up in the real world. In Christianity, Jesus dies on the cross, but later is resurrected and ascends up to heaven. In the movie, Neo dies but later comes back to life. At the end of the movie, Neo resurrects and flies up into the sky. Trinity is the third character. According to Pythagoras, three is the perfect number. In Christianity, there are three holy power: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit. From this point of view, Morpheus is The Father, Neo is The Son and Trinity is The Holy Spirit. The Oracle is a person who was intermediary between God and people in Greek history. Also, she is a soothsayer in the movie. Cypher is a form of “Cipher”. In some computational systems, Cipher means “zero”. It can be referred as no value. His devilish beard and his red dress symbolizes Satan. The Agents represent human races...

Words: 813 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Philosophy of Religion

...specifically to Plato and Aristotle’s objective idea of God. Also refer to Augustine’s response to Classical philosophy. Conclude your essay with your own critical assessment. Do you agree or disagree with the philosophers? Use Chapter 4 of your prescribed textbook (‘The God of the Philosophers’) in order to answer the question. Contents 1. Brief summary of the God of the philosophers 2. The traditional God and gods 3. Plato and Aristotle’s objective ideas of God 4. Conclusion 5. References 1. Brief summary of the God of the Philosopher: In the book ‘God: A guide for the perplexed’ Keith Ward goes into fascinating debate and detail of ancient philosopher, their writings and the way the world understood them. Each philosopher mentioned in Chapter 4; Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Augustine had their own image and debate on what the godswere and how they perceived them and how they believed they came to be and what they are capable of. Plato, when learning about the Greek gods, never understood why they were there or where they came from. He believed that good was the only essence that mattered in all the beliefs and religions and ways of life. He believed in a god that was faultlessin everything he did and that is why the universe was created. (Ward 2002: 145) Socrates on the other hand denied that there were even gods at all. For this statement he was sentence to death. (Ward 2002: 136) Augustine however based the foundations of Christianity on some...

Words: 831 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Comparison of Greek & Roman Culture

...link it to another event to establish the chronology with sufficient proof and the carbon dating has been inconsistent. However it is thought to be around 1630 to 1780’s . (The Eruption of Thera: Date and Implications, 2006) The eruption of Thera brought life to an end for the Cyclades culture. Although there are virtually no artifacts left there to help us understand the life there, we have uncovered buildings. Most of what we know of this region was found through the burial sites where we have found art and artifacts. (Sayre, 2010) Philosophy Greek: Homer- 800 BCE Socrates & Plato 469-347 BCE Aristotle 384-323 BCE Roman Venus: Georgics Greek - Homer: Wrote the Iliad & Odyssey a tale about the the war between Mycenae and Troy between 1800 and 1300 BCE. Roman - Poems: Moral Right and Wrong & Human Destiny. Greeks- A sense of idealism Socrates and Plato Virtue: Be the Best you can be. Belief that man is perfectible. The Romans were imitators...

Words: 1000 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Plato and Aristotle on God

...Aristotle * Aristotle was born in 384 BC. 14 Years after the death of Socrates. His father was court physician to the king of Macedon. * At the age of 18 he entered Plato’s academy at Athens. (Plato was 60 years old) Aristotle remained in the academy until Plato’s death. * Aristotle became tutor to the son of King of Macedon who then became Alexander the great. * Aristotle rejected almost everything that Plato had argued – in particular the existence of forms, he said that human beings needed to work out what was good or bad or right and wrong by looking at the world as it was. * Aristotle and Plato both had huge influence for more than 2000 years of history but Aristotle had the greatest! Aristotle classified many types of animals and plants and considered that each member of different species and every living thing shared a distinct nature. Something was good if it fulfilled its nature and it was defective if it was not what it was intended to be. * Considered that a good human being fulfils the nature which is shared by all human beings. * Therefore, what it is to be good depends on knowing what it is to be human and * This can only be worked out by studying humans to understand what human nature is. For Aristotle something was good if it fulfilled its nature. Evil he held is not a positive thing at all. Evil is merely an absent of good, something suffers from evil if it is missing a good that should be present. Aristotle on God...

Words: 740 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Greek Mythology Research Paper

...Classical Philosophers” and Socrates, they had the capability to alter the track of history and influence their people. He was primarily concerned with the positions of mankind in society as against to natural forces. Socrates established many conceptual standards concerning philosophy since he was occupied with his own ideologies. He said that instead of him being intelligent, he alternatively knew not a thing and solely cared for intelligence. From his philosophy, he supposed that a person had to look for comprehension and intelligence through ideas and discussion to recognize the difference in a person’s morals and ethics. Plato, a student in the early Athens, told the story of Socrates’s life. From his magnificent offerings to philosophy, Socrates’ beliefs resonated as important all the way through Europe after his...

Words: 1242 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Plato

... 2 Originally named Aristocles, “Plato was born at a time of warfare and upheaval,” (Russo, Michael) in Athens. His father, Ariston, died when Plato was a young child. But descended from a line of kings of Athens. Plato’s mother, Pericitone, remarried to Pyrilampes but came from a similar line of royalty. Plato gained the nickname Platon as a young boy from his wrestling coach. The nickname means broad because of his broad body structure. He died at the age of eighty-one. On the evening of his death he had a Thracian girl play the flute to him. Plato died in his bed and, did not drink hemlock; which he was ordered to do by to the laws of the democracy. Hemlock was a poisonous plant in which a killing potion was made from. “He decided not to drink the potion to ensure he dead was just like Socrates’.” (Schall James, Summer 1996) So, Plato’s dead was categorized as by natural cause. Although, Plato died with someone by his bedside he never had a wife or even children. “He was almost certainly gay (as many Athenians were of his day), since he wrote about the idea that love between men is superior to love between a man and woman. “ (Sanderson Beck, 2006) Many men of this time and empire had wives and male lovers so it was not considered uncommon. Plato resided in the Greek civilization; which were made up of independent states called Polis. The states were broken up between the...

Words: 1331 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Mysticism and Diabolic Witchcraft

...History 200 14 December 2010   1   Mysticism and Diabolic Witchcraft: Female Susceptibility of the Italian Renaissance During the Italian Renaissance, Christianity experienced a heavy resurgence in mysticism. Mysticism was a type of devout faith or spirituality found throughout the convents in Italy and primarily exercised by Christian Italian women (Sheldrake 93-95). These women underwent vivid connections with God which involved an awakening of consciousness and awareness for God’s divine will. In extreme cases, women fell into a transcendental union with God in which they experienced ultimate illumination. In these rare occurrences, women could encounter faith miracles such as stigmatas, ecstasies, or the re-living of Christ’s Passion. During this period, Italy also experienced another intense spiritual movement labeled diabolic witchcraft (Tavuzzi 150). In the case of diabolic witchcraft, again experienced primarily by females, women underwent a concentrated level of worship and contractual relations with Satan. Historical examples show these women developing sexual relations with Satan, as well as maleficia or harmful magic (Tavuzzi 153). The women involved in diabolic witchcraft were pursued by the Church’s legal arm, the Dominican Inquisitors. They were put on trial, accused of heresy, and either imprisoned or killed. Similarly, the Dominican Inquisitors investigated women who were involved in mysticism and upon the examinations performed by the inquisitors;...

Words: 5189 - Pages: 21