[Old] Greek & Medieval Ideas

Table of Contents

I need to start somewhere. I do not (as yet) understand. I do not (as yet) believe. The spiritual world – if it exists – had its most coherent mouthpiece – in my opinion – in Rudolf Steiner. But was his world view a coherent one? I start with the Ancient Greeks – as Steiner did in his Riddles of Philosophy.

Ancient Greek physics – developing an understanding of knowledge – epistemology – and the natural world – physics – a world of beings – entities which exist – Plato and Aristotle expressed the same holistic ideas – from different perspectives. The essence of things – ousia – thinghood. Also the concepts of matter, atoms, and elements. Things – entities – beings (things that be, that exist) can be material or non-material.

Roman Christianity separated the natural from the supernatural – the material from the spiritual. Only material entities can be understood by physical beings – under-standing – sub-stantia – substance.

Medieval philosophy – realism vs nominalism…