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stenudd.COM Stefan Stenudd Author, Artist, Aikido instructor |
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MYTH Myth of Creation The Logics of Myth Psychoanalysis of Myth Genesis 1: The first creation of the Bible Enuma Elish: Babylonian Creation Cosmos of the Ancients Aristotle - life and work Aristotle's Poetics Ideas and learning The Taoist source About the writer ANCIENT GREECE Introduction Thales Anaximander Anaximenes Pherecydes of Syros Pythagoras Xenophanes Theagenes Hecataeus Heraclitus Pindar Parmenides Anaxagoras Empedocles Herodotus Gorgias Melissus Protagoras Euripides Prodicus of Ceos Leucippus Democritus Critias Antisthenes Diagoras of Melos Plato Aristotle Epicurus Euhemerus Table of the Greek Philosophers Literature Aristotle - life and work Aristotle's Poetics ![]() COSMOS OF THE ANCIENTS The Greek philosophers' theories about the gods, the myths, and cosmology. More about the book here. ![]() MURDER Thoughts on life, death, and the meaning of it all - by Stefan Stenudd. More about the book here. ![]() ALL'S END A science fiction novel by Stefan Stenudd, about the quest for a perfect world. More about the book here. ![]() QI Increase your life energy The book about the life energy qi, with exercises on how to awaken and use it. More about the book here. ![]() AIKIDO The Peaceful Martial Art The book about aikido principles, philosophy and basic concepts. More about the book here. ![]() AIKIBATTO The book about the aikibatto sword and staff exercises, practical and spiritual aspects of the sword arts, equipment for training, etc. More about the book here. |
Cosmos of the AncientsThe Greek Philosopherson Myth and Cosmology Aristotle
ith Aristotle (384-322 BC) there is, just as with his teacher Plato, a mass of writing remaining, exceeding what can be dealt with extensively here. Still, regarding myths and things of divine nature, Aristotle makes the task easier than does Plato, since there is one of his many books, particularly concentrated on the subject: Metaphysics. Here he gives a personally commented, often sharp, review of past theories of cosmology, and presents his own. For a sufficient coverage of his perspectives on these things, Metaphysics will do.![]() His judgement on myth can be harsh, as expressed in relation to "the school of Hesiod" and similar "theologians", who have said that those who do not eat the nectar and ambrosia are mortal, but Aristotle questions how immortals can be of need of food. Then he plainly states: "about those who have invented clever mythologies it is not worthwhile to take a serious book." On the other hand, he also speaks very appreciatively about the myths: lovers of stories were in a way lovers of wisdom, since stories were composed of such wonders that make man start to philosophize. Those wonders were mainly astronomical and cosmological ones. The birth of mythology he describes in closer detail in connection to his discussion on how many primal movers and movements there can be, relating to a multitude of gods. Tradition needs to be considered: From old – and indeed extremely ancient – times there has been handed down to our later age intimations of a mythical character to the effect that the stars are gods and that the divine embraces the whole of nature. The further details were subsequently added in the manner of myth. Their purpose was the persuasion of the masses and general legislative and political expediency. For instance, the myths tell us that these gods are anthropomorphic or resemble some of the other animals and give us other, comparable extrapolations of the basic picture. ![]() He suggests to discard the embroidered details, but to recognize that in mythical perspectives the primary substances were gods – a claim he calls "inspired", pointing out also that though many other arts and doctrines may have perished through time, "these ancient cosmologies have been preserved, like holy relics, right up to the present day." His own supreme deity is the primal mover of the universe, someone so elevated as to be only thinking – the highest form of life – and thinking about thinking, at that. In this tautological fashion, this supreme being is untarnished, untouchable, closed within its own perfection. Were it to think about anything other than its own thinking, it would be vulnerable, in risk of losing its grandeur or its perfection. This being he calls god, and defines: God is a supreme and eternal living being, so that to God belong life and continuous and eternal duration. For that is what God is. Literature Aristotle, Metaphysics, translated by Hugh Lawson-Tancred, London 1998. © Stefan Stenudd 2000How to get the book An edited and extended version of the texts on this website was published in 2007. If you want to buy the book, you can do so at most international web based bookstores, such as Amazon and the like. Here are links to the book on Amazon US and Amazon UK. Use the latter if you are European - then you get the book cheaper and quicker. Otherwise, you may want to buy it at Amazon US.
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TAOIST SOURCE The Taoist source. The complete Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu. More on this website: Aikido Aikibatto sword exercises Myth Greek Philosophers Aristotle and his Poetics The Taoist source Qi - life energy Fiction by Stenudd Art by Stenudd Astrology and horoscopes |