Friday, January 27, 2017

In Response to Dissolute Deity (with links)



The two factors that come to mind first for me in this cognitive dissonance are: Greek endogamy and Greek religion-as-practice. Rather than an example of double-think, where the Greek gods can do no wrong despite doing obvious wrong, Greek myth seems exegetically to resemble more allegory/fable than moral code/scripture. Divinity takes priority as a discernible trait, and the non-literal social implications of myth have to be teased out with that buffer of divinity-as-different in mind.  Zeus operates on a clear double-standard to heroes (what is acceptable for a god to get away with does not end well for many mortals). Also, the endogamous Greek families were insular and duty-bound (to the best of my knowledge?). Much of Euthyphro’s oddity comes from his indictment occurring in the face of a clear hierarchical divide (the father a citizen and the servant as a servant, contrasted with the slave finally lowest) and social indifference (why is he, of all people, the prosecutor?).

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