Wednesday Wisdom

WHO?

Philo of Alexandria, also known as Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, theologian, and writer who lived in the 1st century AD. Hellenistic refers to the spreading of Greek culture and philosophy across the Mediterranean lands that were conquered by Alexander the Great and ended with the Roman Empire towards the end of the first century. He is considered an important, but somewhat forgotten figure in the history of Jewish philosophy but was significant bridge between Greek philosophy and Jewish thought that had a large influence of early Christian doctrine.

Philo was born in Alexandria, Egypt, around 20 BC, to a prominent Jewish family. He came from a wealthy and influential background, which provided him with opportunities for education and scholarship. Philo received a thorough education in Greek philosophy, literature, and culture, which was prevalent in the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria, Egypt. Through his education and the culture of Alexandria, he was deeply influenced by Hellenistic philosophy, particularly Platonic and Stoic thought.

What he Produced

Philo was a prolific writer, and his works include philosophical treatises, biblical commentaries, and essays. He sought to harmonize Greek philosophy with Jewish monotheism, presenting his ideas through allegorical interpretations of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Philo's approach to interpreting the Hebrew Bible was characterized by allegorical stories rather than a historical account. He believed that the biblical narratives contained deeper philosophical and moral meanings that could be uncovered through symbolic and allegorical interpretation. An excellent example of Philo’s philosophy was his interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He believed it as a symbolic representation, and echoing Greek philosophy, of the human soul's journey toward knowledge and virtue. He also believed that the tabernacle in the wilderness described in the Old Testaments book of Exodus had spiritual and moral significance beyond its literal or historical description. Philo's writings explored concepts such as the nature of God, divine providence, the relationship between God and the world, and the human soul's connection to the divine. He sought to demonstrate the compatibility of Greek philosophical ideas with Jewish religious thought. This concept was counter to rabbinical teaching of the Torah, while his use of the Torah to study epistemology differs from classic philosophers.

Plato's dialogues were a series of his writings that explore all philosophical arguments and themes. In "Cratylus", Plato explores the nature of language, particularly the relationship between words and their meanings. It is named after Cratylus, a philosopher who held the view that the names of things were not arbitrary but were based on their inherent nature. In the dialogue, Cratylus takes the position that language is a reflection of truth and that words are perfectly suited to represent the true nature of things. In this dialogue Plato uses the term “Logos” often to make the point about words, reason and their symbiotic relationship. “Logos” translates literally to “Word”; however, the term according to Plato writings is much more descriptive meaning logical discussion or reasoned discourse.

2023 Why you should care

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." This is from the Apostle John 1:1in the New Testament. Originally written in Greek, the word logos is prominent as well as a reference made to Genesis from the Old Testament and the Torah.

One of Philo's most influential ideas was the concept of the "Logos," which he borrowed from Greek philosophy and Plato. In his writings, the “Logos” represented the divine reason or Word of God. Philo argued that the “Logos” played a central role in the creation of the universe and served as an intermediary as reason or logos (Holy Spirit) between the transcendent God and the physical God Jesus.

Philo lived during the time of Christ but was unaware of the Christian movement of Jesus of Nazareth. However, Philo spoke about God (the beginning), the word, logos as a prophet of Gods message and the spiritual wisdom that combined it all. John wrote his testament many years after the death of Christ but seemingly incorporated Philo and Plato through the word.

Philo and Plato seemingly mapped out the route to the Trinity and influenced Christian thinkers throughout the next 1000 years.

And now you know...

Philosophy is the art of thinking, the building block of progress that shapes critical thinking across economics, ethics, religion, and science.

METAPHYSICS: Literally, the term metaphysics means ‘beyond the physical.’ Typically, this is the branch that most people think of when they picture philosophy. In metaphysics, the goal is to answer the what and how questions in life. Who are we, and what are time and space?

LOGIC: The study of reasoning. Much like metaphysics, understanding logic helps to understand and appreciate how we perceive the rest of our world. More than that, it provides a foundation for which to build and interpret arguments and analyses.

ETHICS: The study of morality, right and wrong, good and evil. Ethics tackles difficult conversations by adding weight to actions and decisions. Politics takes ethics to a larger scale, applying it to a group (or groups) of people. Political philosophers study political governments, laws, justice, authority, rights, liberty, ethics, and much more.

AESTHETICS: What is beautiful? Philosophers try to understand, qualify, and quantify what makes art what it is. Aesthetics also takes a deeper look at the artwork itself, trying to understand the meaning behind it, both art as a whole and art on an individual level. A question an aesthetics philosopher would seek to address is whether or not beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

EPISTEMOLOGY: This is the study and understanding of knowledge. The main question is how do we know? We can question the limitations of logic, how comprehension works, and the ability (or perception) to be certain.