Order and History, Volume 17University of Missouri Press, 2000 - Civilization This third volume of Order and History completes Voegelin's study of Greek culture from its earliest pre-Hellenic origins to its full maturity with the dominance of Athens. As the title suggests, Plato and Aristotle is principally devoted to the work of the two great thinkers who represent the high point of philosophic inquiry among the Greeks. Through an absorbing analysis of the Platonic and Aristotelian vision of soul, polis, and cosmos, Voegelin demonstrates how the symbolic framework of the older myth was superseded by the more precisely differentiated symbols of philosophy. Although this outmoding and rejection of past symbols of truth might seem to lead to a chaotic and despairing relativism, Voegelin makes it the basis of a profound conception of the historical process: "the attempts to find the symbolic forms that will adequately express the meaning (of a society), while imperfect, do not form a senseless series of failures. For the great socieries have created a sequence of orders, intelligibly connected with one another as advances toward, or recessions from, an adequate symbolization of the truth concerning the order of being of which the order of society is a part." In this view, history has no obvious "meaning, " yet each society makes a similar venture after truth. Although every society works out its destiny under different conditions, each nonetheless creates symbols -- in its deeds and institutions -- which bear the meaning of its own existence. History, then, acquires a unity in the common endeavor toward meaning and order. The rationality and nobility of this view of history has much to say to the present age. Dante Germino's powerful introduction to this edition of Plato and Aristotle eloquently directs the reader into Voegelin's search through the thought of these two philosophers and toward a full understanding of their relevance to the "modern" world. This masterpiece, Germino argues, provides a welcome antidote to the spirit of an era Voegelin once called the Gnostic age. |
Contents
Introduction | 45 |
Spiritualism The Hymn of the Pearl | 91 |
Historiogenesis | 108 |
Copyright | |
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The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin, Volume 17, Order ..., Volume 4; Volume 17 No preview available - 2000 |
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Ahuramazda Alexander Alexander's analysis Anaximandrian Apeiron apocalyptic Aristotle articulate becomes luminous beginning century B.C. China Chinese Christ Christian compact conception concupiscential conquest construction context cosmic cosmogony cosmos creation cultural deformation Demiurge differentiation divine ground divine presence divine reality dynasty Ecumenic Age ecumenic empires egophanic Egypt Egyptian emerges eschatological Eucratides Euhemerus existential exodus expansion experienced experiential Gnostic Greek heaven Hegel Hellas Hellenic Hence Herodotus Hesiod historiogenesis horizon human imperial insight Israel Israelite king kingship Macedonians mankind meaning in history Metaxy Moreover Moses movement mystery myth mythopoesis noetic consciousness oikoumene okeanos Order and History origin participation Paul Pauline Persian philosopher's philosophers phthora Plato pneumatic polis Polybius pragmatic present primary experience problem process of reality prophets proskynesis psyche question realm religion Resurrected revealed Roman ruler sense society spiritual Stoic Sumerian King List symbolism tension theophanic event theophany things thinkers Timaeus Torah transfiguration truth of existence universal vision Voegelin Yahweh