IS PREVENTING PRAVITY POSSIBLE?
"Pravity" means wickedness, evil , corruption. It is the root of the word, depravity. Plotinus, an ancient African philosopher, used pravity in his classic, third century work, THE ENNEADS, to say that merely to look upon pravity is to be corrupted by it.
Reading his words, I had thought instinctively of that pravity upon persons who viewed "Medusa" of the snake-hair in Greek mythology; and of the "Sirens," whose alluring sounds and songs attracted lost sailors to destruction of shipwreck .
Both myths Medusa and the Sirens having been other forms of pravity.
I then thought of that pravity that is so prevalent in modern media, of both the entertainment and of the news genres. I had noted how that, even today, pravity is ever upon us: corrupting, influencing, attracting young and old alike, by repetition and reward, despite our prior presumed knowledge of Greek mythology and our own presumed knowledge of the proven human ramifications from behavioral modification experiments like those infamously involving "Pavlov's dog."
Plato, predecessor of Plotinus, in his book THE LAWS, says that the ancient Egyptians averted pravity by prescribing forms of art and music that were permissible for thousands of years, explaining that nation's longevity, wonders, and powerful influences upon others.
Moses in the Bible employed the raised ensign of a snake to rid the Hebrew children of their plague of snakes. I am not sure what, if any particular thing might be done, if any, to rid our nation of its pravity , but it will not hurt to study how it might be done by those interested!
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
PRAVITY
IS PREVENTING PRAVITY POSSIBLE?
"Pravity" means wickedness, evil , corruption. It is the root of the word, depravity. Plotinus, an ancient African philosopher, used pravity in his classic, third century work, THE ENNEADS, to say that merely to look upon pravity is to be corrupted by it.
Reading his words, I had thought instinctively of that pravity upon persons who viewed "Medusa" of the snake-hair in Greek mythology; and of the "Sirens," whose alluring sounds and songs attracted lost sailors to destruction of shipwreck .
Both myths Medusa and the Sirens having been other forms of pravity.
I then thought of that pravity that is so prevalent in modern media, of both the entertainment and of the news genres. I had noted how that, even today, pravity is ever upon us: corrupting, influencing, attracting young and old alike, by repetition and reward, despite our prior presumed knowledge of Greek mythology and our own presumed knowledge of the proven human ramifications from behavioral modification experiments like those infamously involving "Pavlov's dog."
Plato, predecessor of Plotinus, in his book THE LAWS, says that the ancient Egyptians averted pravity by prescribing forms of art and music that were permissible for thousands of years, explaining that nation's longevity, wonders, and powerful influences upon others.
Moses in the Bible employed the raised ensign of a snake to rid the Hebrew children of their plague of snakes. I am not sure what, if any particular thing might be done, if any, to rid our nation of its pravity , but it will not hurt to study how it might be done by those interested!
