So Let Us Share Our Knowledge // Moriah Nelson
I thoroughly enjoyed this week’s passage of Thucydides's writing and the glimpse into
Ancient Greek society and culture. Pericles is incredibly eloquent and presents
an impactful funeral speech that compels his hearers to think beyond the day of
mourning.
I loved when he stated, “We throw open our city to the world, and
never by alien acts exclude foreigners from any opportunity of learning or
observing…” It shows how vital it was to the Athenians to share knowledge with
the world around them. Even when presented with the possibility of their
knowledge being used against them by enemies, they still prioritized this
generosity. Had they become a closed nation, the world would be in a very
different place today. This is not to say the Athenian culture was necessarily
superior to other cultures, but the distinct mindset of challenging one’s own
thinking shaped countless cultures into something new as they were conquered or
influenced by the Athenians.
This brings to mind the Early Church’s mindset, and sometimes
struggle, of welcoming both Jews and Gentiles into their community. As Romans
15:7 says, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the
glory of God.” Humanity is much better off when we share knowledge and
community with one another. The success of both the Athenian culture and
especially the Church attests to the confidence that can be placed in sharing
knowledge.
P.S. I commented on Anna Kate and Zane's posts.
P.S. I commented on Anna Kate and Zane's posts.
I agree with your statements of sharing knowledge. The world would have been vastly different place if Athens had sealed away all it know for visitors -- it would have been even more different if the Church had denied non-believers exposure to the word of God. The idea of spreading knowledge is one that is unfortunately twisted in a modern society, many people taking it to mean that we should refuse others beliefs out of hand and get into arguments, while the Athenians and the early Church perhaps did it in a more productive way, simply allowing the in-knowing into their ranks to see.
ReplyDeleteI agree, humanity is better when we share. This is because God made us that way. We are communal people. God says in Genesis that "It is not good for man to be alone." Even being alone in a group is not good. Sharing knowledge, telling stories, and simply being together is a fundamental part of humanity. This is exemplified in the Church. We are one body, a community. We share the knowledge of Christ, with each other and with the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one thing that makes Athens such an intelligent nation. Because they were able to exchange knowledge with surroundig areas. Not only, did they share information with other areas, but they were willing to accept it. This allowed Athen's to grow culturally and academiclly putting them as a leading nation. I wonder how intelligent a lot of countries today woud be with this mindset.
ReplyDeleteI loved this quality of Athens. While every other civilization at the time was like- "ew, gross what are you doing here?" Athens was like the wise mother Athena and brought people into their culture with the desire to civilize and educate, perhaps to build people up rather than tear them down and/or rape them like Agammemnon did the Trojans... nevertheless Athens is a rather amazing spectacle of ancient society because of this.
ReplyDeleteIt's also interesting to recognize the impact that Greek culture has on modern society. Teachings from their time and being the first model of a republic that is present today. Also, their idea of being the noblest and best of all nations but still humbling themselves to allow visitors and foreigners to learn about their culture is amazing to me.
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