Western Tradition: Classics and Interpretation – On the Wisdom of the Ancients

Author: Francis Bacon (English)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-16
Features: In ancient Greek mythology, Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia, the messenger of the Olympian gods, the god of roads and boundaries, the god of sleep and dreams, the guide of the dead, the orator, the protector of merchants, thieves, travelers, and shepherds—the term "Hermeneutic" originates from Hermes. Reverence is the condition of learning from a great work written by a great mind, advancing a deep understanding of the great tradition of Western thought, developing towards close reading with interpretive depth, making philosophy a matter of life, and the interpretive work of a scholar devoted to pure learning of the classics. In short, the wisdom of ancient times is either great or fortunate. If the creator understands what they are doing and the purpose of their creation is to conceal, then they are great; if they are aimless and merely accidentally encounter some material, inspiring these outstanding ideas, then they are fortunate. I think, if my efforts help them, they will be concentrated in one aspect: either revealing the ancient or revealing nature. The methods used by the ancients in their careful and cautious creation may not suit everyone's taste and ability, but they must choose their readers. This caution cannot be lost, both to avoid harming those excluded and to enhance the nature of those chosen.