Plato, Aristotle, and Stoicism

This is Lecture 4 in the course 'Church History: Early and Medieval'. All material is copyrighted.

[PastorVor]

As a layman, I find it somewhat startling to learn these things for the first time, and to see in them concepts which I have, at least partially, come to understand myself, sort of inherently. This triggers in me one of my very first motivations for self learning which is the thought that there are a great many concepts and ideas spread across this world which LOOK like different things but if examined closely seem to come from a singular source. What is that source?
I'm babbling. Long story short. I love to learn things from people who love to teach.
Thank you for loving to teach.

[danielswanepoel]

I love your videos. They are concise and shed light on many interesting aspects of Christian history. I appreciate how they offer clarity to the sometimes murky waters of generalised Christian worldviews. They are perfect for sparking interest to further study. Thank you very much.

[biohazardousbacon]

Incredible to see philosophic, nonreligious connections to God in the pre-christian world. Very informative. Thank you.

[hosung]

I disagree with the notion that not seeking improvement or advantage leads to the conclusion that one should stay in his rank or place in terms of stoicism. Rather, I think stoicism does not give any real value(at least worthy of provoking emotions) to the very concept of one's place or rank, therefore promoting indifference to one's position. In other words, I think it does not favor stability over change but favor being indifferent to those two things.


+) And thanks for the videos, I think this is by far the most content-rich video on history and philosophy that was made by a youtube creator.

[davidkugel]

Thanks Dr. Reeves for making church history accessible to the average person like me. You are have done for history and theology what Salman Khan has done for math and science. I appreciate your efforts.

[marriwoldt]

Very concise and easily grasped lecture on the Greek philosophers.  I wish I had had you as a professor during my undergraduate days.  I completely rejected history as a worthwhile subject until after I had finished my formal education.

And don't you think that the Stoics not only influenced the Romans, but also the Christian church, which propagated that same attitude into the hierarchy found in early-middle age general culture?  It seems to me that the church imitated the structure of Roman administration passed it down to the relationships between the majority of the people and their rulers.

[eurosensazion]

I'm not into philosophy nor studied it but I have read "The Republic", "Timeaus and Criteus" but Aristotle and Socrates always made more sense to me.

[kravenmoorehead]

It's amazing to me that philosophy is so unpopular in today's age, while pop stars cause Moses to smash his tablets. Any thought's on why the love of knowledge/study is so unpopular and how it could be returned to its proper place of focus?

[rebeccaodessa]

Brilliant lectures...thank you for sharing them.

[yasmimminsay]

l am downloading this playlist - thank you so much- l have not videos like yours on Youtube - l like Bruce Gore, but l do appreciate your videos.

[budibausto]

After these philosophers, everyone afterwards was just saying the same things over and over for centuries, imitating each others and painting the same portraits with different colours,  until you have Nietzsche.

[alkistisTV]

"Demiurge" means Creator in Greek.

[katedev]

I can almost see the connection of the Plato, s Demiurge (concept of perfection) and C.s. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

[charliespider]

i dont understand how it can be that one might discuss plato in relation to christianity and not mention that he invented the "omnibenevolent". Especially since we can see that his ideas have deeply influenced christian discussion from st paul to aquinas

[SirKenchalot]

I wonder if you would go as far as NT Wright in his condemnation of penal substitution and the goal of going to heaven as Palotnized Christianity? I'm just finishing his book The Day the Revolution Began and it's pretty heavy stuff.

[seekrighteousness]

I wonder what Aristotle and Plato would have said if they new like we do now that, that same stone is mostly empty space. Not so solid as man's reason would assume.

[ClarenceDoskocil]

It took me over 15 years to admit that in many ways, this is simple Hermetics. Þy 'rabbit hole' doþ run deepeþ.

[somethingclever]

great channel Dr. Thank you for your time and effort posting these. It is appreciated.

[daniel-zhqc]

"Christianity is Platonism for the Masses" - I think this needs to be wrestled with at a level of greater intellectual honesty and appreciation. Its no wonder that a large part of the intellectually inspired church thinkers, whether Aquinas, Augustine, Duns Scotus, Anselm, etc. are all fascinating precisely for their philosophical framing and orientation, an orientation they all explicitly find in Plato and Aristotle. Now take this and think of these figures in the context of the eclipse of scholasticism with Descartes, the rise of scientism (empiricism/rationalism) and we get a better understanding of the slow death of the historical phenomenon of Christianity - a phenomenon whose debt to Plato and Aristotle is second to none - and which I fear you downplay here to a dangerous extent. With this said, the quote from Nietzsche I just mentioned begins to take on a more profound sense than its original glib form (if we take into account that the masses get the watered down understanding, while the major church figures are all philosophically inspired) Either way the lecture series is great!

[elfootman]

Why not Socrates? He's way more relevant to western philosophy than Plato.