Imagine a world where everything is based upon keeping a made-up being happy, a world where humans believe this blindly because no one has decided to ask why. This is the exact world of Before Christ Greece. The “made-up beings” were best described by Homer and Hesiod and were called gods. The existence of the gods was not questioned by the greeks for many years. Nature philosophers came into being when they started asking why and tearing down the world brought on by Homer and Hesiod. One such individual was a Greek by the name of Xenophanes. While he was not the first nature philosopher he is important. Xenophanes succeeded at moving away from mythology, but in some ways his ideas mimic the basic concepts presented by Homer and Hesiod while
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In mythology, Homer and Hesiod paint tales of many different humanistic gods that control aspects of human life to ensure justice or honor and moderation. These gods sit in the clouds watching the actions of mortal beings and directly interfering whenever they are disrespected. The gods are not equal in stature and Zeus is the supreme god. These gods make the same morally wrong decisions and mistakes that humans make. According to Homer and Hesiod, the only difference between men and gods is mortality. According to Xenophanes there is only one god. This one god is significantly different than humans and the Gods described in mythology. This god stays in one place and does not interfere with the insignificant humans on the earth. This god is nothing like humans, it does not compromise integrity or character, it is something that in Xenophanes opinion is more deserving of respect that the Homeric gods. This deity is still immortal like the plethora of gods from the stories told by Homer and Hesiod. Both concepts of god imply that the beings are …show more content…
In mythology, humans are considered lower than gods because they are not immortal. The only literal difference between humans and gods is death. Gods are just as terrible and corrupt as human beings but because they cannot die and “help” mortals, they deserve to be worshipped by humans. Xenophanes’ god is better than humans. It is more intelligent and morally pure than mortals. It is the only being that knows the truth and knows it knows the truth. Because it is pure and more intelligent, it is supreme to
In mythology, Homer and Hesiod paint tales of many different humanistic gods that control aspects of human life to ensure justice or honor and moderation. These gods sit in the clouds watching the actions of mortal beings and directly interfering whenever they are disrespected. The gods are not equal in stature and Zeus is the supreme god. These gods make the same morally wrong decisions and mistakes that humans make. According to Homer and Hesiod, the only difference between men and gods is mortality. According to Xenophanes there is only one god. This one god is significantly different than humans and the Gods described in mythology. This god stays in one place and does not interfere with the insignificant humans on the earth. This god is nothing like humans, it does not compromise integrity or character, it is something that in Xenophanes opinion is more deserving of respect that the Homeric gods. This deity is still immortal like the plethora of gods from the stories told by Homer and Hesiod. Both concepts of god imply that the beings are …show more content…
In mythology, humans are considered lower than gods because they are not immortal. The only literal difference between humans and gods is death. Gods are just as terrible and corrupt as human beings but because they cannot die and “help” mortals, they deserve to be worshipped by humans. Xenophanes’ god is better than humans. It is more intelligent and morally pure than mortals. It is the only being that knows the truth and knows it knows the truth. Because it is pure and more intelligent, it is supreme to