The Classical Wisdom Tradition

"At the twilight of antiquity there were still wholly unchristian figures, which were more beautiful, harmonious, and pure than those of any Christians: e.g., Proclus. ... In comparison with them Christianity looks like some crude brutalisation, organised for the benefit of the mob and the criminal classes." Friedrich Nietzsche, We Phlilogists, 249

A subtle but basic shift in perspective is necessary for European peoples to most effectively advance our spirituality: we must see that our classical inheritance is spiritual in nature and is the Western analog of the Vedic tradition. The average person no longer perceives e.g. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and the great Poets as figures of spiritual wisdom, but they do so perceive Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tze, and others. The first group is thought to inhabit a tedious academic realm of no real importance. Westerners -- tragically -- do not even understand that their deepest well of spiritual wisdom is spiritual. How many people know, for example, that Platonism is a polytheistic spiritual path involving the purification of the soul over a series of reincarnations, ending in apotheosis? Nobody leaves a college philosophy course with that understanding, but it is the vision which animates the whole Platonic project. How many people know that there's an ancient tradition of reading Homer, not as a mere story teller, but as a divinely inspired sage? But this situation we find ourselves in is not only a spiritual matter. We're losing more than a wisdom tradition. To know ourselves, says the Platonic tradition, is to know our causes; to look deep inside ourselves is to, eventually, find something higher than ourselves, that which we descend from, and this inner vision refreshes and energizes us - it gives us form. I believe the same idea applies at the level of civilization. A civilization that no longer remembers its causes, its traditions, is a civilization in disintegration. We are losing our identity because we are disconnected from the past. Our people will likely continue to turn to Buddha or Jesus or (worst of all) atheism until this change of perspective occurs. - CWT admin

This poll has confirmed my suspicion that the American South punches above its weight in this community! Much love to all and thanks for satisfying my curiosity. Back to our regularly scheduled programming... - CWT Admin

The Powers of the Soul NOTE: The outline presented here is drawn from the Platonic literature. The soul is the immaterial substance by which the living differs from the nonliving. Beginning from this simple definition, we can, by observation and analysis, develop a more sophisticated model of the soul, outlined below. We observe that there are many ways to be alive. For example, comprehension, perception, sensation, self-movement, nourishment, and growth. We further observe that some living things live in all of these ways (like humans), while other living things live in only some of these ways (like plants). Therefore, the powers of the soul are arranged hierarchically, with those characteristic of e.g. plant life at the bottom, and those characteristic of more divine natures at the top, and the animal nature midway between the two. Since living virtuously (i.e., in imitation of the Gods) is our life's purpose, this hierarchy is important because virtue is the perfection of the powers of our soul. The virtue of the rational soul is Wisdom; the virtues of the nonrational soul are Courage and Temperance; and the virtue that ties them all together is Justice. 🔸Rational: Intellect: Mental sight. That which knows fully and immediately. Its energy is weak in those who are not spiritually advanced. Reason: That which moves from premise to conclusion and knows the "why" of things. Opinion: That which knows data. It knows that something is, but it doesn’t know why something is. Intention (or Will): That which has a voluntary directedness or orientation towards the good. 🔸Nonrational: Imagination: That faculty which has a kind of internal image of sensory information. Sensation: That which apprehends external phenomena present to the individual. Passion (Gr. thumos): That which nonrationally opposes the harmful or obstructive and rejoices in overcoming them. Concerned with preservation. Desire (or Appetite): That which seeks what is (or appears to be) good. Concerned with acquisition. Vegetative: Reproduction: In imitation of the immortal Gods, mortal creatures generate beings like themselves, one after the other. Growth Nourishment

"Everything changes; nothing dies; the soul Roams to and fro, now here, now there, and takes What frame it will, passing from beast to man, From our own form to beast and never dies. As yielding wax is stamped with new designs And changes shape and seems not still the same, Yet is indeed the same, even so our souls, Are still the same for ever, but adopt In their migrations ever-varying forms." Ovid, Metamorphoses 15.164-172

Virtue in the Classical Tradition: Techniques The Rule of the Stoics “There are things which are within our power, and there are things which are beyond our power.” These are the opening words of the Handbook by the Stoic philosopher, Epictetus. He continues, “Within our power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion, and, in one word, whatever affairs are our own. Beyond our power are body, property, reputation, office, and, in one word, whatever are not properly our own affairs.” Method: This technique can be used in any setting and for any length of time, but I recommend sitting quietly and taking at least 5 minutes to go through the following steps. Note what kinds of things are in your power: opinion, aim or intention, what you avoid, what you move towards. Note what kinds of things are not truly in your power: everything else, including your body, your property, your reputation, as well as the behaviors and opinions of other people. Then, recall anything you may be anxious about, angry about, feel guilty about, or are otherwise troubled by, and determine whether those worries belong to the class of things within your power or to the class of things that are beyond your power. If they are within your power, commit to taking corrective action. If they are beyond your power, release them and return your focus to those things within your power. Source: Epictetus, Handbook 1

Explore the River of the Soul, so that although you have become a servant to body, you may again rise to the Order from which you descended, joining works to sacred reason. The Chaldean Oracles