UDK 1 (38)
Sažetak
Rani grčki filozofi bavili su se slabljenjem tradicionalne religije na jedan od dva načina. U prvom pristupu, mogli su gotovo u potpunosti ostaviti po strani pitanje religije. Stoga su jonski fizičari tražili objašnjenja o univerzumu i njegovim pojavama koja su, uopćeno govoreći, nereligijska. Drugi pristup je bio pristup takozvane “italijanske škole” – Pitagore, Empedokla, Parmenida i njihovih sljedbenika. Oni su uspostavljali filozofske religije s vjerovanjima, tabuima i praksama štovanja. Ovaj drugi pristup imao je jasne veze s kultovima misterija koji su postajali sve popularniji u grčkom svijetu. Ta dva pristupa približila su se u tri najveće ličnosti antičke filozofije: Sokratu, Platonu i Aristotelu. S druge strane, objavljena religija prvi put se pojavila kao glavna intelektualna sila u mediteranskom svijetu u 1. i 2. stoljeću naše ere. Filozofi su zanemarivali pojavu objavljene religije dokle god su mogli. Oni su bili posljednji intelektualno značajni branioci drevnog paganizma, pružajući pagansko obrazovanje sve dok u šestom stoljeću njihove škole nisu bile zatvorene, a njihovi nastavnici protjerani. Na kraju, filozofija je ipak bila pomirena s objavljenom religijom, a posebno s kršćanstvom. Kasnije, dok je interesiranje filozofije za religiju poraslo tokom helenističkog i rimskog doba, njeno zanimanje za politiku je opalo.
Ključne riječi: objavljena religija, grčka filozofija, “italijanska škola”, paganizam, grčka politička filozofija
Philosophy and Religion before Islam
John Walbridge
Abstract
The early Greek philosophers dealt with the decline of traditional religion in one of two ways. In the first approach, they might leave aside the question of religion almost entirely. Thus, the Ionian physicists sought explanations of the universe and its phenomena that were, broadly speaking, not religious. The other approach was that of the so-called “Italian School” – Pythagoras, Empedocles, Parmenides, and their followers. They were creating philosophical religions with beliefs, taboos, and worship practices. This latter approach had clear connections with the mystery cults that were becoming increasingly popular in the Greek world. These two approaches converged in the three greatest figures of ancient philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. On the other hand, revealed religion first appeared as a major intellectual force in the Mediterranean world in the first and second centuries of the Common Era. The philosophers ignored the phenomenon of revealed religion as long as they could. They were the last intellectually significant defenders of ancient paganism, providing pagan education until their schools were closed and their professors banished in the sixth century. In the end, philosophy was reconciled to revealed religion, and specifically to Christianity. While philosophy’s concern with religion had grown during Hellenistic and Roman times, its interest in politics had dwindled.
Keywords: revealed religion, Greek philosophy, “Italian School”, paganism, Greek political philosophy