What is Ethical, Beauty, and Truth

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What is Ethical, Beauty, and Truth?

• Hellenistic Philosophy and Religion

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PhilosophyDescended from Plato

• Cynics/Skeptics
• No truths can be known to be certain
• Life became pessimistic
• Suspension of judgment
• Diogenes (4th Century BC)
• Philosopher of Cynicism
• Searched in vain for an honest man (lantern)
• Tried to break down political barriers claiming
  people owed no allegiance
• Ultimately not satisfying as a way of life

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PhilosophyDescended from Plato

• Stoics (alternate to Skepticism)
• School Founded by Zeno in Athens (335-262 BC)
• Stoa means columns (taught in courtyard)
• Utopian life
• Simple life allows time to grow close to ultimate
  truth
• No money, property, shunned luxury (Asceticism)
• Family and marriage are acceptable but not
  romantically

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PhilosophyDescended from Plato

• Stoics searched for ultimate truth in their lives
• Pure reason is valued at the best path to truth
• Truth can be discovered by the senses and passed
  to the brain but is subject to error from
  emotions
• Emotions lie between the senses and the brain
• Emotions can distort truth so emotions are to be
  avoided
• Controlling emotions is called apathea (apathy)
• The greatest good is surrender to the Divine Will
  (Logos)

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Stoicism

• The Logos an intelligent and divine force that
  pervades all reality
• The Form of Forms
• Fate
• Believed oracles could tap into the Logos and
  determine fate
• Accepted fate and tried to find hidden benefits
• Apathea the active control of emotions
• Emotions are the opposite of a rational approach
  to life
• The stoical approach is without emotions
• Nature
• An expression of a rational plan
• Natural law governs all things
• History is cyclical
• Duty to country is a way of finding the Logos
• Virtue is its own reward
• Love of fellowmen
• Happiness derived from conformance with nature or
  Logos

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Influence of Stoicism

• Strong influence on the later Greeks, Romans and
  Christians
• Roman belief in supremacy of law and basic
  virtues
• Logos came to be identified with deity
• "Logos" "Word" (John 11)
• Scriptures interpreted from stoical view
• God without body, parts or passion (St.
  Augustine)
• The world is his body
• Order and law are His divine will
• Holy Ghost as wind or fire
• Monasticism in Christianity
• Calvinists accepted stoic thoughts

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• By the Logos, the whole world is now become
  Athens and Greece.
• Clement of Alexandria
• (Bishop of the Catholic Church in the 3rd Century)

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PhilosophyDescended from Aristotle

• Peripatetics
• Wanderers seeking knowledge
• Explained Aristotles teachings
• Knowledge from science ultimate truth
• Senses were a valid source of knowledge
• Truth came from rationally understanding
  information gained through the senses
• Emotion was a way of evaluating knowledge
• Center of science moved to Alexandria
• Alexandrian scientists strongly supported
  Aristotle
• Athens was left a second-rate center of learning
• Science had difficulty defining an ethical system
• Observations alone did not lead to ethical
  behavior

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PhilosophyDescended from Aristotle

• Epicureans
• Founded by Epicurus (340-270 BC)
• Centered in Athens
• Open to women and people of all classes
• Epicurus wrote over 300 books
• Rejected religion
• Religion based on ignorance
• Religion ignores sensory knowledge (empiricism)
• Epicureans didnt care about ultimate truth
• Life began by spontaneous generation
• There is no life after death

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Epicureanism

• Live according to the most pleasure
• True (long term) pleasure brings happiness
• Practical method of living
• Reason must conform to experiences of the senses
• Influenced by Atomists
• The universe follows laws governing atoms

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Epicureanism

• Happiness is achieved through conformance with
  truth
• Seeking the Golden Mean (balance)
• Doing what is right
• Withdrawing from world affairs
• Abstaining from drunkenness and sexual
  dissipation
• Living prudently, honorably, and justly
• Avoiding violence
• Hedonism is a corruption of Epicureanism

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Philosophical Descent

• Plato
• Cynics
• Stoics
• Christians

• Aristotle
• Peripatetics/Scientists
• Epicureans
• Hedonists/Atheists

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• "Now while Paul waited for them in Athens, his
  spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city
  wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he
  in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the
  devout persons, and in the market daily with them
  that met with him. Then certain philosophers of
  the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered
  him. And some said, What will this babbler say?
  Other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of
  strange gods because he preached unto them
  Jesus, and the resurrection."
• Acts 1716-18

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Hellenism and Judaism

• Jews in the Diaspora (dispersion)
• Jews mainly in Babylon/Persia
• Colonies in Jerusalem (Nehemiah and Ezra)
• Colonies elsewhere over time (Alexandria)
• Septuagint (In 300 BC 70 scholars translated
  Jewish version of the OT into Greek)
• Cut off from the temple
• Stopped sacrifices and substituted prayer
• Diminishing of priests and rise of teachers
  (Rabbis)
• Jewish laws
• Guaranteed the continuance of the Jews as a
  society
• Pharisees (law enforcers)
• Sadducees (accommodated to Greek lifestyle)

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Hellenism and Judaism

• Maccabaean revolt and Hasmonaean dynasty
• Mattathias, an old priest, refused to sacrifice
  to Zeus
• He slew Jews and kings officers
• His family and followers took refuge in the
  mountains
• They were attacked on the Sabbath and many slain
• Judas Maccabaeus, the eldest son, won a war
  against the Seleucid dynasty and took control of
  Palestine
• Celebrated with Hanukkah

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Herodian Kings

• Herod selected as king of Palestine by the Romans
• Friends with Octavian
• Rebuilt the temple
• To gain support of the Jews
• Built Masada and other palaces/retreats
• The king who killed innocents
• Family ruled Galilee throughout
  Christs life

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What is Ethical

• Socrates/Plato
• The unexamined life is not worth living
• Seek the ultimate spiritual reality (Form)
• Actions should honor and support the true form of
  things
• Man is best served living in a society governed
  by philosophers and strong regimentation

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What is Ethical

• Aristotlean ethics
• Three levels of happiness
• Based on pleasure
• Based on honor
• From contemplation, philosophy, and learning true
  principles
• What are the LDS views of these natures?
• Live the Golden Mean (avoid extremes)
• Man is part of the whole
• Man best served by a government that is virtuous
• Can be found in monarchies, aristocracies, or
  polities

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What is Ethical

• Stoical Ethics
• Happiness comes from conforming to the plan of
  divine reason (Logos)
• Fully accept what is and do not desire what
  cannot be
• The world is governed by reason
• Divine providence watches over the virtuous

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What is Ethical

• Epicurean ethics
• Goal of human life is happiness found through
  doing the right things
• Decisions are based on pleasure
• Pleasure should be viewed long term
• Life should be simple and moderate
• The world is atomic based so events happen
  according to laws of nature
• Avoid conflicts

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What is Ethical

• Jewish ethics
• God has given rules to honor him
• He judges us on how well we follow the rules
• Strict morality will bring happiness
• Life is to be lived among the world, but certain
  laws keep the righteous separate

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What is Ethical

• Christian ethics
• Live according to the laws of Christ
• Happiness comes through inner peace
• Judgment will come to all men
• The honest in heart will be saved
• Certain ordinances necessary for salvation

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What is Ethical

• Buddhist ethics
• Happiness achieved through achieving Nirvana
• Virtuous living through seeking the Middle Way
• Life is repeated at higher or lower levels
  according to personal virtue in this life
• Progression through learning the 4 noble truths
  and practicing the 8 fold path

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What is Ethical

• Hindu ethics Seven sins in the world
• Wealth without work
• Pleasure without conscience
• Knowledge without character
• Commerce without morality
• Science without humanity
• Worship without sacrifice
• Politics without principle
• Mahatma Gandhi

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What is Ethical

• Confucists/Taoists
• Happiness comes through finding and fulfilling
  your role
• Possess inner and outer virtues but practice
  with moderation
• Understand Yin and Yang and balance life
  accordingly
• Seek to yield to force
• Accept world events and strive for inner peace

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• "In obedience there is joy and peace unspotted,
  unalloyed and as God has designed our happiness
  He never has He never will institute an
  ordinance or give a commandment to His people
  that is not calculated in its nature to promote
  that happiness which He has designed, and which
  will not end in the greatest amount of good and
  glory to those who become the recipients of his
  laws and ordinances."
• Joseph Smith

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What is Beauty

• Greeks
• Dimensional perfection (Pythagoreans)
• Human body is the most perfect creation
• Buildings should have symmetry and balance
• Jews
• Gods creations are beauty
• No imagery
• Simplicity is best
• Christians
• Beauty is found in Gods creations
• Beauty should lift the spirit
• Beauty comes from within

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What is Truth

• Plato
• The ultimate nature of the thing is
  its true Form
• Truth is perceived in spiritual sense
• Physical is only a shadow of reality
• Finding truth is just remembering

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What is Truth

• Aristotle
• The universe has uniformity and symmetry
• Earth is imperfect and removed from Gods realm
  but points to truth
• Reasoning and deducing lead man to truth

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What is Truth

• Jew/Christians
• Truth is absolute
• God knows all truth
• Truth found through personal endeavors or
  revelation
• Conflicts in perception of truth favor God
• Perceiving truth
• Manblind man
• Goddifferent dimension

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Western versus Eastern Summary

• Learning and perceiving
• Political
• Views of mankind
• Cultural

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Learning and Perceiving

• Eastern
• Education comes by rote learning
• Facts have a beginning and an end
• Facts are subject to divine will and come only
  from God
• Apprehends facts rather than investigates
• Typical writing is poetical and abstract (like
  Isaiah)

• Western
• Education comes through experience and reasoning
• Facts are absolute
• Facts discovered through research and
  experimentation
• Open discussions help man find truth
• Typical writing is logical and philosophical

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Political Differences

• Western
• Freedom is institutionalit should be guaranteed
  by society
• Loyalty to the state

• Eastern
• Freedom is individual, existing even if the
  society if not free
• Loyalty to the leader

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Views of Mankind

• Western
• Man is the ultimate being in the universe and is
  the lord of the earth by right of reason
• Religion is logical and scientific

• Eastern
• Man is the subject of God and should focus on
  carrying out His will
• Religion is mystical and emotional

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Cultural Differences

• Western
• The body is most glorious creation
• Body should be a focus of life in art
• Health care, exercise, leisure, and pleasure

• Eastern
• People should be covered modestly
• No statues or art to depict the body
• Little effort at personal comfort

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Thank You