THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS-in our time.

Antaletriangle · 04-01-2009, 09:52 PM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/...nourtime.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00j7txt

Despite commissioning the Sistine Chapel, Pope Julius II is better known as a warrior than a scholar. But when he did put down the sword and pick up a book, he would have done so under a magnificent if slightly unexpected fresco. It is called The School of Athens, it was painted by Raphael in 1509 and it sits in a room in the Vatican that housed Julius’ private library.

The School of Athens depicts an imaginary scene in which all the philosophers of antiquity are gathered together. At their centre stand Plato and Aristotle, deep in discussion. Plato is pointing at the sky and Aristotle at the ground.

In that pairing of gestures, Raphael captured something essential about the philosophies of these two men, but he also revealed much about his own time. That such a pagan pair could be found beside a Pope in private tells of the complexity of intellectual life at the time when classical learning was reborn in what we now call the Renaissance.

Contributors:

Angie Hobbs, Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Warwick

Valery Rees, Renaissance scholar and senior member of the Language Department at the School of Economic Science

Jill Kraye, Professor of the History of Renaissance Philosophy and Librarian at the Warburg Institute at the University of London

vipassana · 04-01-2009, 10:17 PM

Interesting post. I love Natural Philosophy and believe it should be taught to children but we can't have that now can we because then a lot of children would learn to become indeoendent thinkers!!!

For anyone who's interested here's a link to space and motion http://www.spaceandmotion.com/

This site has the biggest collection of Philosophy I've ever found on the net. There's a lot of really interesting stuff there which you can dip into. Geoff Hasslehurst defines himself as a Natural Philosopher because he, like me, doesn't believe you need a degree to be a thinker and question the Universe/ world/ society you inhabit.

Geoff Hasslehurst wants a better world for all too.

Antaletriangle · 04-01-2009, 10:21 PM

Thanks for that vipassana-i love philosophy and from a very early age always questioned existence-not so much from a sartre viewpoint early on but from a more relative and dynamically involved standpoint.Discussions from the meanings and interpretations of art to religious doctrines imposed on science etc.

04-01-2009, 09:52 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS-in our time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/...nourtime.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00j7txt Despite commissioning the Sistine Chapel, Pope Julius II is better known as a warrior than a scholar. But when he did put down the sword and pick up a book, he would have done so under a magnificent if slightly unexpected fresco. It is called The School of Athens, it was painted by Raphael in 1509 and it sits in a room in the Vatican that housed Julius’ private library. The School of Athens depicts an imaginary scene in which all the philosophers of antiquity are gathered together. At their centre stand Plato and Aristotle, deep in discussion. Plato is pointing at the sky and Aristotle at the ground. In that pairing of gestures, Raphael captured something essential about the philosophies of these two men, but he also revealed much about his own time. That such a pagan pair could be found beside a Pope in private tells of the complexity of intellectual life at the time when classical learning was reborn in what we now call the Renaissance. Contributors: Angie Hobbs, Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Warwick Valery Rees, Renaissance scholar and senior member of the Language Department at the School of Economic Science Jill Kraye, Professor of the History of Renaissance Philosophy and Librarian at the Warburg Institute at the University of London Last edited by Antaletriangle; 04-01-2009 at 09:56 PM.

04-01-2009, 10:17 PM	#2
vipassana Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 69	Re: THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS-in our time. Interesting post. I love Natural Philosophy and believe it should be taught to children but we can't have that now can we because then a lot of children would learn to become indeoendent thinkers!!! For anyone who's interested here's a link to space and motion http://www.spaceandmotion.com/ This site has the biggest collection of Philosophy I've ever found on the net. There's a lot of really interesting stuff there which you can dip into. Geoff Hasslehurst defines himself as a Natural Philosopher because he, like me, doesn't believe you need a degree to be a thinker and question the Universe/ world/ society you inhabit. Geoff Hasslehurst wants a better world for all too.

04-01-2009, 10:21 PM	#3
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	Re: THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS-in our time. Thanks for that vipassana-i love philosophy and from a very early age always questioned existence-not so much from a sartre viewpoint early on but from a more relative and dynamically involved standpoint.Discussions from the meanings and interpretations of art to religious doctrines imposed on science etc.