Ambrosios typology of hero and saint - Assignment Example

Ambrosio’s approach to the issue of a meaningful life draws on the typology of hero and saint. After listening to the first two lectures, what do you understand these terms to mean? Explain your answer, comparing and contrasting the hero and the saint and providing examples of each view of life. Are these metaphors “ideal types” that serve as fundamentally distinct ways of living personally and in society; that is, must we choose between them? The Hero and the Saint- Models of the quest for meaning According to Dr. Francis J Ambrosio, there are several ways of understanding meaning. This is a problem that philosophers over the centuries have struggled to make sense of. Dr. Ambrosio tackles the issue of meaning through a series of questions that seek to understand the meaning of meaning and to find out whether there is meaning in life. Ambrosio looks at the different explanations that have been provided usually and goes on to deconstruct these explanations. In order to better understand the quest for meaning, he uses two models, that of the hero and that of the saint. According to Ambrosio, these are methods that are employed in order to make sense of the lives that people live (Ambrosio). The method of the hero is to understand his or her life and the meaning of it is to question the bases of it. The hero seeks to understand his life through posing questions and possibly even changing it. This is also to say that the way of the hero is one that is marked by action. On the other hand, the saint is a passive figure, accepting meaning that is handed down to him or her from a power that he does not question. The saint always sees the absence of his or her situation as having been an alternative for this power. The saint thus, understands his life through not just what is, but also through what could not have been. However, both these models evolve from the fundamental question of as to whether there is a larger meaning that can be attributed to human life. This question unites these two models in their basic essence of being answers or means employed to come to terms with the meaning of life. The hero is committed to further questioning and the idea of the mystery of life that needs to be unraveled. The saint on the other hand, is committed to his or her version of meaning and reality that the saint shall work according to. The similarities between these models also lie in their commitment to responsibility. The commitment to understanding the meaning of life is what characterizes the philosophical hero and the religious saint. Both sets of people adopt this responsibility for themselves, even though their methods are vastly different. Ambrosio points out several areas where these models are important in the daily lives of common people. The question of death that everyone has to deal with is an example (Ambrosio). The hero and the saint obviously approach these problems differently. However, the fact remains that both these models place great importance on this question as it impinges directly upon the question of the meaning of life. If one takes life to be absurd, the entire question of death takes on a different form though. These models have evolved over time, thus leading one to explore the social and more importantly, communal nature of these models. They have come to occupy a place in what Ambrosio refers to as the “cultural genome” of a particular society. These models thus, enable not just individuals but also communities to make sense of the lives that they lead. The development of this genome then happens on the basis of those very elements that affect human evolution, thereby bringing it closer to the human question (Ambrosio). These models are then based on the idea of the mystery of everyday life that is often steeped in irrationality. The attempts to make sense of these irrational phenomena form a part of the questioning that is engaged in by religion and philosophy. The important thing, according to Ambrosio, is to understand the experiential basis of these issues and the questions that it gives rise to. Since these real experiences give rise to the questions, one needs to go back to them in order to understand and answer the questions. How does the ideal of heroic citizenship change from the Greek mythopoetic tradition through the emergence of Greek tragic drama to the late Stoicism of Roman imperialism? What elements remain the same in this development of the ideal, and what elements undergo alteration or adaptation? What, in the end, is the essence of the heroic ideal? The transition from the Greek hero to the Roman Stoic The Greek hero transitions to the Roman one through the ages. This is also accompanied by a shift in the power relations between these civilizations and the world. The Greek hero, as envisioned by Plato, is modeled on the figure of Socrates as he appears in the Apology. Here, he defends his point of view despite facing the danger of losing his life in the process. This is contrasted with the model of the hero as is seen by Marcus Aurelius during the era of the Roman Empire. Ambrosio sees the development of the hero as a part of the development and transition in the cultural genome of the society. The first model of the hero was the epic hero which then gave way to the tragic hero. These heroes embodied the best characteristics of the society that they were a part of. The next model of the hero was the citizen-hero, best exemplified by Socrates in the Apology. Here, Socrates represents all those qualities that are desirable in a citizen. He finds meaning through living the life of a citizen, a model that finds its culmination in Plato’s articulation of the philosopher in his magnum opus The Republic. Socrates’ zeal in defending himself and his version of truth is seen to be the ideal of the new hero. Plato feels that this zeal in defending the truth is the role that the citizen-hero must take up for himself or herself (Ambrosio). The mythopoetic hero needs to have a very concrete goal, according to Ambrosio. Like Hercules who completes the twelve tasks that are set for him, the hero needs to look at a real motive that drives his work. Apart from this, the hero also moves ahead through ideals of honour and valour. The model of the hero has three supporting pillars. The first one is ananke or necessity. The second one is moira or fate while the third one is arete or heroic excellence. The hero and even the gods, must bow to the dictates of necessity, that is, what a situation demands at a particular point in time. Moira is the individual’s portion of this story of necessity. The individual then seeks to achieve arete or excellence in the endeavours that he or she takes up during his or her lifetime. The central conflict in the life of a hero is the agon in the hero’s life (Ambrosio). There is however, a fair amount of continuity in the evolution of stoicism in the Roman context. The Stoic, much like the citizen hero, attempts to control the mind of the person. They also seek to employ the faculty of reason in order to understand life. The stoics gave a culmination to the worldview of the Greeks which had in its closing stages tended to become increasingly less focused on the individual. According to Ambrosio, the ideal of the stoic became a space which the Greek notion of the hero could occupy. According to him, at this stage in history, the Roman Empire had begun to focus solely on concerns of the empire and hence had little time for philosophical enquiry and the ideal of the hero. Ambrosio refers to the space of the stoic as the “last refuge” of the philosopher in the Roman Empire which had lost most of its contact with this area (Ambrosio). In late stoicism, one finds many features of the citizen hero, especially a commitment to the sanctity of the state and the republic of the state. In this model, as in the model of the Greek citizen hero, there is an attempt to see oneself in relation to others in a society that is formed into a republic. In the case of late stoicism, however, this space has shrunk and the external powers are felt more acutely. The “refuge” is thus, still a very restricted and restrictive space. According to Professor Ambrosio, how does the idea of the hero in Greek and Roman culture become integrated into the idea of the saint in the process of conversion and totalization? Address this question by comparing and contrasting at least two of the following: Saul of Tarsus, Augustine of Hippo, Mohammed. Augustine of Hippo and Prophet Muhammad The idea of the hero as was envisioned by Greek and Roman cultures, we have seen, has many similarities. These elements continued to be a part of civilizations and societies that came into existence later on as well. For instance, in the conversions of Prophet Muhammad and Augustine of Hippo, one sees conversion as a means not only to change oneself but also others. The manner in which Christianity and Islam integrates the models of the saint and the hero can also be seen in these figures. In earlier models of the hero and the saint, the hero was the active figure while the saint was more passive. These figures are integrated in figures like Augustine and Muhammad. The historical roles that these figures played also bring their roles as saintly heroes into focus. They were not just people who were deeply immersed in religion but they were also philosophers. Conversion and the idea of totality are important gateways for the merging of the figure of the saint and the hero in this context. The Roman Empire had just been converted to Christianity by the then emperor Constantine when Augustine of Hippo came on to the stage. There were thus, elements of the hero and the saint that were mixed in his personality as a result of the mixing of Roman culture with Christianity. In his zeal as a reformer, he exhibited the urge to bring change which was characteristic of the heroic ideal. On the other hand, he was also a deeply meditative and introspective person which consolidates his saintly credentials. His faith in Christianity pulls him towards the model of the saint; however, the need to convert and reform actively gives this figure a heroic slant as well. Apart from this, there is also the issue of totality to consider. Augustine of Hippo believed in an organic society which would be encompassed by the ideas of Christianity. The conversion to totality from multiplicity required Augustine to conform to many elements that were considered to be characteristic of the hero, as the model was defined in Greek and Roman eras. The importance of this lies in the manner in which cultural and historical necessities have led to the integration of these two models. Thus, one sees how necessity is an important aspect here as well. The totalitarian worldview that is subscribed to is also the result of many years of social churning and turmoil. Prophet Muhammad, in his capacity as the messenger of Allah, was a saint as he was a passive recipient of these messages. He sought to practice in his life these teachings and is often held up as the paragon of virtue for all Muslims to follow. He also preached jihad, which means a need to struggle and strive. This is for Muhammad and all other Muslims, a necessity as they seek to both convert and reform themselves. The first step is of course, to convert oneself to the faith of Islam. The second would be to convert others and thereby reform them. This is an active process and it is as part of this that wars were fought in Arabia during the seventh century. These active interventions are characteristic of the role that is taken up by the hero. The concept of the agon too is very relevant here as the hero faces an agon or conflict during his or her lifetime. This conflict is resolved through the demonstration of heroic qualities that are present in the hero. Muhammad and his allies were able to establish Islam as the dominant religion of Arabia at that point of time as a result of these heroic acts. Here too, one finds the integration of the saintly and heroic qualities of the Greek and Roman eras. The sense of adventure that permeates the resolution of the agon can be seen in the careers of St. Augustine of Hippo and Prophet Muhammad. Both these historical figures are relevant also for their integration of heroic and saintly qualities. This also reveals historical continuities from the Greek and Roman eras into the ages that followed them. Discuss whether you find Ambrosio's divisions helpful and explain how one approach or the other—or both—relate to your own view of the meaning of life. Dr. Ambrosio speaks of the genetic and the metaphysical approach to understanding the meaning of life. In this approach, he talks of the active and passive approaches that the hero and the saint take up, respectively. The hero takes up an approach that is based on genetics. This is to say that the hero takes up an approach that is based on the action, not always based upon the rewards that accrue from such action. The hero, also, is the representation of the collective goodness of a community. He or she may also represent the problems within a community, problems that may lead to his or her downfall. The saint, on the other hand, is somebody who looks to a metaphysical or divine power for the redress of the problems in the world. A combination of the two approaches is needed in order to take the world forward. To reflect and to act is both necessary in order to combat the combat the complex problems that one faces in the twenty first century. Within the heroic perspective, how is life a game, a drama, or a struggle? Do you find this a helpful way of understanding the challenge of finding meaning in life? How do you see this perspective reflected in the modern world? According to the hero, life is a struggle and an adventure that are put together by necessity and fate. He or she is then expected to respond to the vicissitudes of fate and necessity using his or her heroic excellence. The hero is expected to put up a brave front that is for the benefit of himself and the community that he represents. This is the manner in which the hero understands the purpose of his or her life. He or she seeks to understand the role that the hero is to play in the society through action. For instance, the tragic hero is the representative of the best of the society that he or she is a part of and thus, understands the position of the hero in this society through those characteristics. In the modern world, leaders are mostly the people who exemplify the best characteristics of their societies. They seek to change their societies for the better through action and not merely through reflecting on a pre-existing thought-system. In the monotheistic tradition, how is the idea of the saint alike and different from what we have seen in the previous idea of the hero? Use specific examples from the lives of Hebrew, Christian, and/or Islamic figures to document your assertions. In the monotheistic tradition, the saint is similar to the hero in that the saint not only reflects upon the framework that he believes in, he also seeks to actively convert others to his point of view. This point of view then takes up a totalitarian position from which the saint often refuses to budge. There is thus, an integration of the roles that the saint and the hero are supposed to perform. In the Hebrew tradition, one sees Abraham as an active figure who believes in not only adopting the tradition that he believes in but also in the propagation of it. In the Christian tradition, Augustine of Hippo believed that conversion of the pagan was an important task in the life of a Christian. Also in the case of Islam, one sees Mohammed as a figure who practiced jihad, which refers to the everyday struggle to practice and propagate the religion. Works Cited Ambrosio, Francis J. “Mohammed—The Prophet as Saintly Innovator” Youtube. Accessed 14 Nov. 2013 Ambrosio, Francis J. “Hero or Saint- Augustine of Hippo” Youtube. Accessed 14 Nov. 2013 Ambrosio, Francis J. “Meaning—A Question and a Commitment” Youtube. Accessed 14 Nov. 2013 Ambrosio, Francis J. “Hero and Saint—Mapping the Cultural Genome” Youtube. Accessed 14 Nov. 2013 Ambrosio, Francis J. “The Heroic Age—The Greek Worldview” Youtube. Accessed 14 Nov. 2013 Ambrosio, Francis J. “The Heroic Ideal in Late Stoicism” Youtube. Accessed 14 Nov. 2013 Read More