The Four Models of the Universe (03 Oct 2023; Brague/Socrates/Plato)

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Section I: Socrates’ Revolution; Plato’s Restoration

In Greece, everything, from heaven to earth to gods to humans, was held together by moral ideas, which lead to order; this is why we can call the kosmos ordered, and this universal order becomes a byword for “good.” Socrates’ Revolution gave way to a new perspective on things; rather than study nature, Socrates turned towards the study of human relations, in an effort to demonstrate that moral values of good and evil (alongside wisdom on how to lead a good life) cannot come from nature (specifically the sky). At the time, it was not a given that the material world holds neutrality, as we perceive it today. From this point, there was no longer a universal set of moral laws, as humans and the kosmos were disconnected; good and evil applied only to anthropology. To re-establish order in nature, Plato decided that Good was the supreme principle of nature and man. Good is of the cosmos, and thus human life aims to be an imitation of the cosmos (specifically the revolutions of the stars), which can be fulfilled through attaining knowledge of it. Now order in humanity is obtained by imitating the cosmos that existed before us, rather than order found solely within humanity.

Section II: The Atomists

The Atomists were against the significance of humanity that Plato and Socrates saw in their cosmological models; to The Atomists, the universe, the gods, do not care whether we exist or not. Attaining knowledge of the extinguishable world is the way in which moral changes can occur, making the study of the world subjective rather than objective. Human inter-relations are more important than relations with cosmic realities, but we must still learn from the world. Uncovering truths of the world can aid in preventing disturbance, such that we may find happiness. Importantly, it is non-cosmic knowledge of the world and not imitation (as is found in Plato and Socrates’ model) of such that can deliver this peace through order. 

Section III: The Scriptures

The universe, mankind, was created by a benevolent divine figure (God), in which the parts of the physical universe all serve a purpose defined by that god (animals, stars, etc.), which is to that end of humanity. We shouldn’t learn from these physical things, instead I see it as our taking note of them; animals show proof of the existence of a God, but shouldn’t be imitated, and the stars show us the seasons, but also should not be imitated. God’s purpose and words serve as the “good” of the universe, and provide order, overcoming chaos through creation. Because nature is subservient to man, man is not to garner wisdom from nature to discover his morals, but should look to God instead: It is to god that the wisdom of the world belongs to, and he who we should imitate.

Section IV: Gnosticism

Gnostics devalue the natural world. Knowledge of the natural world serves no purpose, as it does in some of the other models; the natural world is an antagonist, something to be escaped from, nothing that provides us with benefit. In Atomism, the world is indifferent, but the Gnostics see it as evil. It was created by an ignoramus figure, not some perfect God; here there is a difference to the Scriptures, as creation does not inherently imply order. The human soul provides order to the world (good), but at the same time is corrupted and harms itself. The human body cannot be resurrected, because the world is bad, and the body is the vessel with which we interact with the world. We are merely strangers here, our presence fueled by horrors such as nightmares and abandonment, seeking an escape.

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