When she was young, Mother Earth was filled with beauty.
I like this myth because it is unique and different. Most of the others are talking about Gods, or are religion based. I think it is unique how this one makes objects the characters and does it a little differently.
“Let there be light,” and there was light.
Out of all of the different creation stories and myths we have been reading lately, I find this one interesting because of how simple it is. God simply speaks things into existence and they are. This story is among one of the easier ones to understand too.
Now, you and I may be convinced in the bottom of our hearts that the world is run on rational and intelligible principles, and that there is some good in life, and might be more if only men would think and act reasonably.
Going back and annotating this now is interesting that they brought up the subject of rationality this early on and I didn't notice. Rationality is something that we just recently discussed. After reading this line and having discussions about rationality I would have to disagree with the fact that the world runs on rationality. Not many people think like that all the time, and most people when asked, aren't even quite sure how they define rationality in their own terms.
Science is a careful scrutiny of the grounds of our common sense beliefs. It analyzes and describes our common experiences.
I find this definition of science interesting because there are many complex ideas in science that are hard to understand. Therefore, when they described it as common sense or experiences it seems like something that is hard to grasp.
I will tell you. We have killed him -- you and I. All of us are his murderers.
When I see this I think that we "killed God" by doing sinful and hurtful things. By us hurting humanity, we are de-valuing everything God would have wanted for us, therefore in a way we "killed God".
“We have discovered happiness,”—say the last men, and blink thereby.—
People seem to find something that gives them temporary happiness or pleasure and they deem it as their new happiness. I think this only shows that humans are simple beings who strive to ultimately be happy.
Whereas woman is basically an existent who gives Life and does not risk her life, between her and the male there has been no combat.
I think this is a good example of a circumstance where woman are seen as the "other" again.
Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”
This line reminded me of the concept of how people will do whatever they need for there survival's interest.
For surely if you had not busied yourself more than others, such a report and story would never have got abroad, unless you had done something different from what most men do.
In history there seems to be a common pattern of people who think differently or outside of the box being targeted and punished. Mainly, I think it's due to people being scared of change and new ideas uprooting what they're comfortable knowing.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.34 “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.
These lines where they are talking about the final days of judgement remind me of when they referenced it in the Myth of Er.
his body was found unaffected by decay, and carried away home to be buried. And on the twelfth day, as he was lying on the funeral pile, he returned to life and told them what he had seen in the other world.
This whole myth, especially this part reminds me of Jesus' resurrection in the Christian religion.
help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead;
Lines like these are concerning since they are praying to God to help them cause hurt upon others.
essential
It's interesting how they continue to use the terms essential and unessential so often.
It appears, at first view, that men in a state of nature, having no moral relations or determinate obligations one with another, could not be either good nor bad,
Is there any true definition of moral?
Every one of them, in short, constantly dwelling on wants, avidity, oppression, desires and pride, has transferred to the state of nature ideas which were acquired in society;
This concept reminds me of how humans often are constantly striving for more, no matter what they have. But I never thought much about how it could lead to inequality when these ideas of wanting more for yourself are brought into society.
He is the Subject, he is the Absolute – she is the Other.’
This is a common theme I see oftentimes, where men are assumed as a given and the main person and woman are often cast off to the side. I think this derives a lot from history and how men and woman were portrayed then.
It would appear, then, that every female human being is not necessarily a woman; to be so considered she must share in that mysterious and threatened reality known as femininity
This line is what helps me the most to understand society's expectations and views of a woman. Woman is a label that is used that is not automatically put on anyone who is female until they reach society's expectations.
God desired that all things should be good and nothing bad, so far as this was attainable.
It seems that whether it is God, Socrates, or in many of the other myths, they all seem to be fascinated and dedicated to this idea of the "good".
You cannot step twice into the same rivers.
I think this analogy is one of the easiest ways to understand his concept of how things are always changing.
Thus is becoming extinguished and passing away not to be heard of.
In his views, will we be "to be" in the future when we pass then?
How good our drawing is will depend on our ability to recognise the Form of Triangle
Could this just be used as a reference to our understanding of things in life in general?
good and happiness is only the great and subtle power of love
I keep seeing this revolving idea around love, happiness, and "good" that the stories keep circling back to.
but in a mean between the two.’
This phrase of "a mean between the two" is often used in this piece almost as a way to show a gray area. Just because something is not good, doesn't mean it's evil. Just because the mortality of someone is being questioned, doesn't mean there is a set answer one way or the other. This gray area in between is quite interesting to me because oftentimes their beliefs are very clear cut and out there but these seem to bridge between the two.
Indeed, meaning and happiness can be in conflict—so the psychological evidence tells us.
If they are truly in conflict, then will we ever really achieve either of these? The way I see it too is that feelings like true happiness can come and go. They are temporary many times, and this misunderstanding of it meaning your life isn't as meaningful or people thinking they have to be happy all the time.
On the fifth day I laid her framework. One (whole ) acre was her floor space. Ten dozen cubits the height of each of her walls.
I think it's interesting how many of these myths and stories refer to the earth as 'her". Many of these myths or stories, no matter how different, always seem to draw back to the same idea of mother earth.
Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.
This reminds me of a similar message in the movie, "Mother" that we just watched. There was a lot of wickedness and people doing wrong, when all that he wanted to see was love.
Traditional Indian people, including the Ojibway, hold special reverence for the turtle who sacrificed his life and made life possible for the Earth's second people.
For me, growing up as Catholic, I find it interesting hearing other versions of what I was taught. For me, I always heard of Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross so that humans could live with their sins, where as here it is a similar general idea, but it is a completely different depiction.
30 The same objection applied to the question of whether water could turn into wine. Sophie knew the parable of how Jesus turned water into wine, but she had never taken it literally.
I think it's interesting how they tie-in philosophical and religious beliefs because ultimately a lot of the foundation of each of them go hand in hand.
When ancient peoples appropriated and retold myths, they often told them with a difference for a reason.
I think this is a great example of people skewing myths and showing us that we need to look deeper into the meaning to actually understand what the message that is being portrayed is.
An element of underlying truth must, however, be present in the myth if it is to have any permanent value in philosophy or religion.
One of the most interesting things that I learned from today's lesson and this reading is that the myth doesn't necessarily have to have any truth to it as long as the message behind it is true.
Tiamat gathered together her creation and organised battle against the gods, her offspring. Henceforth Tiamat plotted evil because of Apsû.
It seems that their whole family keeps turning against each other. Will this happen between Tiamat and Apsu later on?
mental representations (as when people “picture” or “conceive” of the world as being a certain way in order to get the world to be that way).
I think this is interesting because it is not just an understanding or outside look on what "magic" is, but it is magic proactively trying to create its own understanding for others to follow.
the conceptual task of breaking an argument into its component parts by explicitly distinguishing premises and conclusions
I think understanding logical analysis is important because oftentimes people get so caught up in arguing their own point, that they don't look at the actual facts and aren't able to come to a conclusion. That's why logical analysis is so important.