The School of Athens – Raffaello Sanzio 1511.
Plato and Aristotle, Rationalism and Empiricism, Theory of Forms, Theory of Knowledge and Theory of Cosmos, Universal Evolution and the Alphabet of Knowledge – ABC.
Philip, Alexander, Darius, Ptolemy, Cleopatra Thea Philopator and the Hellenistic Empire
Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, Jesus Christ and the Roman Empire
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In human neurology, the central nervous system and especially the brain, programs the physical bodily functions of the human organism and specifically controls motion.
In universal evolution and specifically in biological evolution (life), human intelligence developed for the control of the (3-dimensional) motion of the free hands. In order to project and program the motion of the hands in the time function (in the space-time dimension), human intelligence developed complex thought and specifically, imagination. From this contemporary and futuristic thought Plato draws the “Ideas” which he develops to his Theory of Forms. This theory and philosophy refers to the non-physical, timeless, absolute, and unchangeable essences of all things, of which objects and matter in the physical world are merely limitations.
The central issue in Platonic thought and in Theory of Forms, is realism and idealism. To be more specific, here, realism / reality (the fixed and certain past) is set against potentionalism / potentiality (the flux and uncertain) future. This duality was a central concept in early philosophy (and specifically in metaphysics), since the Pre-Socratics. It remains central since. Plato believes in reason, in structure and in form, hence his “Theory of Ideas”.
Yet the control of time, motion and dimension, is a tall call of management for any human mind. This call is tall for masters of intelligence, particularly in the class of Plato and the Pre-Socratics. Yet academic rank is of no justified consequence in challenges of uncompromising logical and psychological brutality.
Faithful in moral diligence and devoid of dialectic disappointment, Theory of Forms leaves the deficiency in its very foundation. Plato clearly understates time and dimension and especially motion and information, which run in the currency of the present. Inevitably, this intellectual (and rational) opening in Plato’s idealistic thought, inspired another great thinker in his academy.
Aristotle was a mind no less prestigious in the class of Plato than the master himself. His intellect was at par, equal and in his own right. Plus Aristotle was a consciencious scholar. Both Plato as lecturer and Aristotle as learner, were aware of motion and of the currency of the present. Both were indulged in the concept of time and conscious that the Cosmos was dynamic rather than static. Plato argued for the fixation of the future with theoretical reproductive reason and with his Idealism. Aristotle argued for the experience (and variation) of the past with practical interactive sense and with his Empiricism.
Against Plato’s metaphysics and the Theory of Forms, Aristotle set epistemology and his Theory of Knowledge. According to his theory, knowledge is based in the systematic collection of experience accessible by natural means (emotion) or accountable for by reason. Aristotelian inductive, analytical empiricism, draws predominantly from the study of nature—including the study of humans. Platonic conductive, synthetic rationalism, draws predominantly from the study of the mind.
Yet empiricism is temporally closer to the sensory – motor control of motion and to the modern Theory of Mind, which scientific progress and the study of human neurology, biology and evolution, later revealed. The Theory of Knowledge is also closer to the interactive and reproductive features of motion, mass, dimension, limitation, variation and information, developing from the dynamics of energy. It is specifically closer to power, force and velocity, in classical physics (fixed in presision and programming) and in quantum mechanics (fluid in probability, variation and abstraction).
Such energy features are described in the works of this author, “Theory of Cosmos” 2010, in Greek and “the Universe of Interactions” 2012, in English. They are further delineated in the Alphabet of Knowledge (and Evolution) and are specifically defined in the interchanging duality of fluctuation (wave – extended) and cyclicality (particle – condensed) and then on, in the interchanging singularity and plurality which is distinct in energy dynamics.
The approximation of empiricism to subsequent and modern science, reveals an additional historic trait in the aforementioned comparative theoretical, philosophical and scientific account.
Certain students in the Macedonian class of Aristotle, led by Alexander, historically turned the Platonic ideals into Aristotelian realities, in no uncertain terms. The military expedition of Alexander and the tactical formation (phalanx) of the Macedonian infantry against Darius and the Persian Empire, moved Greek history from the Classical times to the Hellenistic period, drawing out further and far, to the Roman and to the Byzantine Empire and beyond. No less importantly, the Hellenistic period was marked by the scientific explosion, which was theoretically and historically due. Naturally this intellectual revolution was in corroboration to epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics and logic and in the theory and philosophy of science.
Finally the story was not short of dramatic twists, before and after the relevant events. The military campaign of Alexander III was launched only after the assassination of his father Philip II, King of Macedonia, in Court. After the early loss of Alexander at the end of the campaign, the Hellenistic Empire was divided among his army generals. Notably, Egypt went to his former classmate, Ptolemy I. One of his descendants Cleopatra VII regent and then Queen of Egypt developed a more than indecent, affair with Julius Caesar, consul general and dictator of Rome. After the assassination of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra continued with Marcus Antonius, Roman augur and chief commander in the staff of Julius Caesar, in the civil war against Augustus, later Emperor of Rome. Jesus launched Christianity in Judea and the rebel Jews revolted against then Roman Emperor, Tiberius and several of his successors.
It is possible that “If”, the legendary reply which the Spartans send to Philip in the presence Alexander after the Battle of Chaeronia, on the King’s message, “If you do not surrender, I will cross into Peloponnese, defeat you, kill the men, burn and raze Sparta to the ground and sell the women and the children for slaves”, played also variable role in some or all of the above.
