Define the Words Myth and Allegory - Essay Example

Plato and the Cave To start with the discussion, we are first asked to define the words myth and allegory. A myth can be a sacred story that relates the orgind of the world or how the world and the creatures in it came to have their present form. In popular use, a myth is something that is widely believed but false much like an urban legend. An allegory is a way of describing things figuratively or representing an object and conveying meaning other than the literal. Of the many allegory already existing, I can cite the the story of the stomach and its members in the speech of Menenius Agrippa and in Ovids Metamorphoses. There was also this composition of Martianus Capella about the wedding of Mercury and Philogia with the seven liberal arts as guests. (Guthrie, 1981; Hamilton and Cairns, 1961) In the allegory, Plato depicts humans as prisoners chained in their thoughts. When they look at the shadows, they mistake its appearance for reality. They think that what they see on the wall is actually real and could not comprehend the true causes of the shadows. If for example, a shadow looks like a shovel, they would say “I see a shovel” but then again he is only looking at the shovel. For Plato, the prisoners would be mistakenly taking the terms in their language to refer to the shadows that pass before their eyes, rather than to the real things that cast the shadows. This is the reason why people where represented by prisoners. They are bound to their belief much to the point that they are addicted with as the term shackle would imply. In a word, they keep on believing and interpreting something which is superficial. Plato can therefore be seen as referring to a higher reality. In his allegory, his point was that the general terms of our language are not “names” of the physical objects per se but are actually names of things that we cannot see, things that we can only grasp with the mind. (Irwin, 1995;   Jackson, 2001; Kochin, 2002; Kraut, 1993) I have no qualms on philosophers as leaders in the community as they are very good in making sense of what is happening. However, I also see concrete action as one essence of a leader which to, my belief, are lacking of philosophers. They may vainly philosophize on a simple issue without actually taking action even when it is urgent. Aristotle and Happiness Aristotle was very concerned with the examination of moral philosophy or ethics and relate it to his political perspective. In his composition entitled as Nicomachean Ethics, he discusses the mechanics to which one can be or is morally responsible along with a discussion on the nature of the virtues and vices involved in moral evaluation and the methods of achieving happiness in human life. Essentially, Aristotle concerned himself with the question of what does it take for an individual human being to be a good person. (Barnes, 1995; Lord, 1984) All individual beings act because it is what makes them happy even if it hurts other people. As such, some ethical standards regard an act which may be unethical as something good because it gives happiness to the person. Suffice it to say, we are guided in life by our natural preference for engaging in pleasant activities rather than in unpleasant ones which may turn out to be good. According to Aristotle, ethical living involves the pursuit of true happiness. This form of happiness is not the kind where it gives pleasure because this is incomplete. Aristotle advocates contemplation as the highest form of happiness because pursuit of such would bring a person most near to divine blessedness while realizing all of the genuine human virtues as well. (Poe, 1965) With regards to the pursuit of happiness of civilized communities, such would be necessary for a life worth living. More importantly, however, is what for of happiness should be pursued. In line with Aristotle, happiness can be obtained by pursuit of virtues because only thru this can we be worry free. For example, when we steal something that we have been craving to have such as electronic device, we become worried about the repercussions of such actions. However, if we stay honest and true, we feel a sense of fulfillment engulfing us rather than troubling us. Aeneas on the Meaning of Devotion Devotion to duty was the defining and most remarkable aspect of the character Aeneas in Virgil’s The Aeneid. If we are to analyze why Aeneas never wavered in his trust in his destiny, we have to acknowledge that in the story, he was to found the city of Rome where other Trojan survivors were to build and start a new life once again. Knowing this, we can find the source of Aeneas persistent adherence to his destiny from his concern of the welfare of the collective and fraternal love. Love and loyalty was characteristic of Aeneas and other Trojans. Thus, he had no room for doubt because if he did so, he places all of his comrades to uncertainty. (Otis, 1964; Heinze, 1993) We can also think of his devotion to his destiny as emanating from his emphasis on responsibility over emotions. This we can see when he left Dido of Carthage and continue his travels. Aeneas entered the Underworld as per advice of the fortuneteller Sybelle to ask the shadow of his father what he is to do next. However, if we are to provide a deeper analysis, we can see Virgil stressing the virtues of Romans who had the most intimate relationships between fathers and sons as with Anchises and Aeneas. Virgil placed great importance on these familial relationships, feeling that respect for one’s ancestors was one of the most important virtues. In essence, Virgil was trying to tell us that devotion and respect to ancestors were important for success. (Shen,1996) Marcus Aurelius and the Ruling Faculty One of the most important Stoic philosophers, Marcus Aurelius believe that only thru the use of logic and reason can man attain the best he can be. As long as he is swayed by his emotions, as long as his decisions are blurred by cravings and desire, he is bound to fail. Never can he be satisfied and never can he fully grasp the fullness of life. (Hicks and Hicks, 2002; Harrison, 1999) His statement “Thus the ascent to the higher degree is able to produce a sympathy even in things which are separated” can be taken to mean as recognizing the larger picture only by thinking critically and analyzing things and events which seems to be distant but are actually interrelated. We need to think rationally and make sense of the world. All emotions and desire should be overruled by the rational mind. If we don’t make use it and let our passion blind us, we are bound to regret our actions. Our rational thinking is what sets us apart from other earthly beings. Our mind is a gift that we must use or else it would like a succulent fruit which decomposes as not consumed. Only thru the use of this fruit can we expect the fruition of our plans. Satyricon: Public Memory and The Official Cults Satyricon is a novel believed to have been authored by Titus Petronius. By the title itself, we acknowledge that the paragraph is a satire in itself. The writings in the horologe would depict a man who was brave, honorable and duty bound. In truth and in actuality, he was proud of himself to the point that he would not let his statue be given to his heirs and would prefer that one of his slave, freed from his slavery, bound to take care of it. He wanted that those who read it be awed by his preference for accomplishing his duty rather than wallowing in luxury and fame. The fact of the matter was that he enriched himself with all gold rings, ships and fruit vines he wanted to accompany his statue. The man was in shot a liar, someone who wanted himself to be projected as a hero, a good model but he was in life a rich affluent man with his bitch together with his wife and her bitch to worry about. (Courtney, 2001; Rose, K. 1962) What the passage would like to convey is that humans have the tendency to dwell in a make-believe world where we think of ourselves as the hero much like the star of a certain film. We try to fool not only ourselves but also others. Often, we attach much importance to our persons when we are actually less than we perceive to be. One should avoid such irony and be cautious enough to recognize one. We should not always believe what we are told nor should we believe what we think of ourselves most of the time. Most importantly, we need to be honest to ourselves and others. Too many are doing so. (Harrison, 2003) References: Barnes J. (1995)The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle, Cambridge University Press Courtney, Edward (2001). A Companion to Petronius. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 47-48 Guthrie, W. K. C. (1981). A History of Greek Philosophy, Vol. 6. Cambridge University Press.  Hamilton, Edith & Cairns, Huntington (Eds.) (1961). The Collected Dialogues of Plato, Including the Letters. Princeton Univ. Press.  Harrison, .J (2003). "Petronius Arbiter". The Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd edition, revised). Ed. Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1149-1150 Hicks, D. and Hicks, C. (2002). The Emperors Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations. Blackwell Publishing: London Irwin, Terence (1995). Platos Ethics, Oxford University Press, USA, Jackson, Roy (2001). Plato: A Beginners Guide. London: Hoder & Stroughton..  Kochin, Michael S. (2002). Gender and Rhetoric in Plato’s Political Thought. Cambridge Univ. Press.  Kraut, Richard (Ed.) (1993). The Cambridge Companion to Plato. Cambridge University Press. Lord, Carnes (1984). Introduction to The Politics, by Aristotle. Chicago: Chicago University Press. Otis, Brooks (1964). Virgil: A Study in Civilized Poetry. Oxford University Press. Poe, Joe Park (1965). Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 96, 1965 (1965), pp. 321-336 Richard Heinze (1993). Virgils Epic Technique translated by Hazel and David Harvey and Fred Robinson. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 1993. Rose, K. (May 1962). "The Date of the Satyricon". Classical Quarterly 12 (1): 166- 168 Shen, Michael (1996). The Facets of Passion and Duty. Retrieved July 13, 2007 from http://www.columbia.edu/itc/lithum/gallo/aeneid.html S. J. Harrison (1999). "Twentieth-Century Scholarship on the Roman Novel", in S. J. Harrison (ed.): Oxford Readings in the Roman Novel. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. xi-xxxix Read More