On the Life of Contemplation

Author: (Ancient Greece) Philo/Shi Minmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Western civilization has a distinctive name called "Judeo-Christian civilization." By name, it means that Western civilization has two roots, composed of two different "subcultures" with considerable tension. One is the Greek-Roman culture, and the other is the Hebrew-Christian culture. Today, as the world shrinks and major civilizations meet, the Chinese are increasingly interested in understanding the essence of Western civilization. This interest no longer stops at the surface or satisfies with general discussions but desires to delve into its roots, visit its sources, and trace its original texts. The philosophical classics we introduce are in a narrower sense of the "Judeo-Christian civilization era"—that is, the era when these two great civilizations first coexisted, met, questioned each other, and blended. This is a historically vast era, approximately covering the eight hundred years from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. For both sides of "Judeo-Christian," this was a highly distinctive period, as both largely moved beyond their original homelands and influenced other cultures. First, this period is known as the "Hellenistic" era; under the lingering influence of Alexander the Great's eastern campaigns, Greek culture expanded far beyond its city-state boundaries, spreading eastward in a large-scale civilizing mission. Young scholars from all over the world flocked to Athens, paying homage to this world cultural capital. On the other hand, beneath this brilliance lay a different kind of pain; classical social structures and thought paradigms were undergoing profound transformations; the city-state republican system faced disintegration, and those who had once been content with a civic moral life felt unstable and spiritually lost. As a result, "non-mainstream" philosophers, non-political, and "pure" philosophers rose, seeking new foundations for individual spiritual tranquility. The major lines of Greek philosophy were all summarized and synthesized during this time: Plotinus synthesized the Platonic and Aristotelian traditions, Epicurus/Lucretius synthesized the natural philosophy tradition, and skepticism synthesized the negative aspects of Greek philosophy. Meanwhile, these schools also developed new philosophies quite different from the classical paradigm but equally distinctive. Some called them "ethics-oriented" and "religion-oriented" philosophies, while we call them "philosophical therapy" philosophies. These labels all suggest that this was an era of great transformation, where people were particularly concerned with their own happiness, peace, destiny, individuality, freedom, and so on. Every era should have its philosophy. Would the philosophy of that era resonate more with modern people living in a similar time? On the other hand, the other "Judeo" in the East—the Hebrew culture—was quietly rising and gradually advancing toward the West. Jews settled in cities like Alexandria for business, bringing their unique culture. Later, the Christian culture that separated from Jewish culture moved westward gradually into the Greek-Roman cultural region, leading scholars to debate whether this era was the eastward spread of Greek culture or the westward spread of Eastern religious culture? The Hebrew-Christian culture and Greek culture were two extremely different cultures, and when they finally encountered each other, they produced a fascinating interplay of mutual exploration, mutual rejection, mutual attraction, and gradual partial integration. It is easy to imagine that such a period in history is rare. Once it appears, the scene is spectacular and intense, with sparks flying, scholars inspired and energized, engaging in lively debates, evaluating each other, defending themselves, and suddenly giving both cultural traditions a sharp sense of self-awareness. Starting with texts from such a period to explore the characteristics of Western civilization—would this not be a rare and valuable path? Moreover, from the perspective of introducing Western classical philosophy, many scholars in China have already done commendable work in translating Greek-Roman and Hebrew-Christian classics. However, there is still a lack of systematic translation for the classics of the "Judeo-Christian civilization intersection period." This period belongs to the third stage of Greek philosophy—pre-Socratic philosophy, classical philosophy, and late philosophy. The translations of the first two stages have already been relatively systematic, but the translation of the third stage is still far from systematic. The Institute of Foreign Philosophy at Zhejiang University has a tradition of studying and translating Judeo-Christian philosophy, pioneered by Professor Yan Qun and Professor Chen Cunfu, which has long pursued a rigorous, dedicated, and in-depth academic style. In this series, we have selected all the works of famous philosophical schools from the third stage of Greek philosophy: the Epicurean school, skepticism, Stoicism, Neoplatonism, and Neorepublicanism (Cicero, Plutarch), hoping to provide academia with as complete a picture as possible. At the same time, since the philosophy of this period focused on the pursuit of "happiness" and "mental tranquility," our translations will also emphasize introducing ethical-therapeutic philosophical ideas. We believe the profound reflections of the philosophers on life's suffering and healing will provoke broader thought and attention beyond academia. On the other hand, this period also belongs to the "Early Church Fathers" stage in the Hebrew-Christian tradition. How did Jews and Christians view God and humanity, happiness and destiny? How did they view the Greeks? What is the connection between Jerusalem and Athens? Which civilization is superior? Is there only conflict between the two philosophies, or is there room for internal dialogue and integration? Were the later developments already foreshadowed in this era? These are all highly interesting academic questions and urgent real-world issues (for society and individuals at the time). To address this, we have selected the works of great thinkers such as Augustine, Philo, and Gregory of Nyssa. These figures are "trans-era talents" who not only "mastered both Judeo-Christian traditions" but also "lived within both," experiencing genuine and intense tension. Their thoughts must possess unique characteristics and originality that later generations cannot replicate, making them worthy of attention. These are the purposes of our translation of Judeo-Christian philosophical classics. Additionally, two points need clarification: First, the notes in each book of this series are marked as "translator's notes" if they are added by the translator of that specific book; otherwise, they are translations of the original notes. Second, this translation series is also part of the cross-cultural research program of the Zhejiang University Cross-Cultural Research Center. We hope to publish more translations in the future to the lack of translated classics from this period. Philo is a representative of Hellenistic Judaism and a model who bridged Greek philosophy, Jewish tradition, and early Christian thought. The seven works of Philo selected in this anthology are primarily ethical in nature, or rather, Philo's theological ethical interpretations of the texts in the Torah. Therefore, we can also call it an "ethical theology collection." In Philo, the concept of ethics was meant to embody the essence of religious piety.