History of Human Thought Development: A Discussion on Ancient Near Eastern Speculative Thought

Author: Guo Dantong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The pre-philosophical era appeared to people in the form of abstract, critical, and systematic thought. When humans noticed the eternal problems in themselves and nature, their speculative thought was expressed in the form of myths. While these myths told us story after story, they also concealed certain abstract truths. In fact, they showed us a special form of concrete thought. Before we try to understand the thought, moral standards, and religious views of ancient humans, we should systematically analyze this form. Dedicated to the study of the two oldest civilizations (Egypt and Mesopotamia), the authors of this book did not avoid this topic. Precisely because they intended to deeply understand the fundamental views of ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians on life and death, the function of the state, and the nature of the universe, they decided to systematically elaborate on the mythological stories. To highlight the significant differences between the thinking styles of the Greeks and those of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, these authors also discussed several issues related to the emergence of Greek philosophy.