This Research is to study the notion of soul in ancient greek philosophy. It's subject subdivides three items. First, the notion of soul in pre-greek philosophy is treated the origin and transition of soul from Greek epic and lyric to Greek tragedy. S ...
This Research is to study the notion of soul in ancient greek philosophy. It's subject subdivides three items. First, the notion of soul in pre-greek philosophy is treated the origin and transition of soul from Greek epic and lyric to Greek tragedy. Second, the transmigration of souls in orphism and pythagoreanism is treated the origin of transmigration and philosophical foundation of asceticism. Third, the nature of soul and asceticism in Platon's philosophy is treated the nature and immortality of soul from Pre-Socratic philosophy to Platon
1. The notion of soul in pre-greek philosophy is aimed to examine the rituals of death and the problem of soul after death, punishment, and compensation and identify their philosophical meanings. This may be the important clue to understand the meaning of soul in Greek philosophy. The view of soul in Greece has closely been related and developed to soul's immortality and non-corporeality. The notion of soul in early epic period meaned vitality but has been incorporated into more various mental functions. The problem of death, therefore, appeared in more complex and profound discussions. In the case of Homer, death is the end of life and the world of the living is completely different form that of the dead. Studying the burial ritual in early Greece, however, we can discover the trace of powerful reverence of soul passed on from the pre-Homer period. To cremate the dead is to separate from the living world and to purify it. In Homer's epic, the notion of compensation and punishment of the after-death world is obscure but hints about it can be discovered. This is related to the tradition and convention from pre-Greek period. In Homer, but, the dead are said to be punished in underworld. Related to punishment after death, the Greek are pursuing to more philosophical pain than the Christians. Basically, for the Greek, it is to give unendurable mental pains, although started from the physical one. On the other hand, in Homer, there is no special allusion about the compensation of after death. It is only said that the specially selected such as heros go to Elysion or The Islands of the Blessed. In other words, the permanently punished are among the dead but the permanently blessed are not.
2. The Transmigration of Souls in Orphism and Pythagoreanism is aimed to analyze philosophical foundation of transmigration in Orphism and Pythagoreanism that have mainly influenced on western philosophy in general. Orphism with mystical tradition is differentiated with Olympian religion of Homer with scientifical tradition. It is occurred as a reaction on the extreme rationalism. But It is not irrationalism, rather the extreme of rationalism. Many philosophers have suspected that the transmigration of souls was originated from Greece. It has been thought that it came from Egypt or the Near East, or India. But I don't think that this view is necessary. Because there were already the circular world-view in Greece from the neolithic era. The transmigration of souls presupposed it. In Orphism the origin of soul is related the worship of Dionysos, the lord of life and death. He was killed and has devoured by Titans. But the titans were destroyed by Zeus with his lightning flash. From their ashes sprang the race of men. The good element derived from Dionysos is mixed with a wicked Titanic element. The distinction between the Titanic and Dionysiac elements in man is an allegorical expression of popular distinction between body and soul. Soul has duty to be free from the chains of the body in which the soul lies fast bound like prisoner. It also tried to escape from perpetual recurrence of all things. According to Orphic doctrines, the soul of man released from body by purification and asceticism.