Greek Philosophy and the Role of God

Everyone knows that Hellenic (Greek) philosophy is the bedrock of Western civilization. By that, most people refer to the Hellenic legacies of democracy, abstractions and generalizations (the “Ideas” of Plato), the clarity generating “Logic” of Aristotle, and the concept of defining all terms. Including defining terms like justice, ethics and morality. You can agree or disagree with their definitions; but at least they were willing to stick their neck out and take a stab at such items.

Far less, however, is said about the Greek impact on the idea of God in the West.

The Greeks philosophers, be it Socrates or Plato or Aristotle, were all practical men. While they certainly had some idealism in them, they were pragmatic about what was possible in the realm of governance. Plato felt that no ideal society (Utopia) ever comes to be because men are not content with a simple life. That men are acquisitive, ambitious, competitive, and jealous. Aristotle was a bit more cynical (realistic?) and felt that human nature, the human average, is “nearer to the beast than to the god”.

If that is how humans are, then how does one govern? The Greeks quickly realized that there is only so much a police force can enforce. And so they bought God into the picture. He was the Carrot or Stick one would face eventually depending on one’s acts. For the Greeks, God was a tool of governance!

This role of God continued long after Greek civilization itself had faded out. When the Jews were being chased around Europe, they found respite in Holland in the mid to late 1500’s. The sense of gratitude they felt towards to the Dutch was understandable. And so when a couple of Jews in Holland attacked the belief in an after-life and other ideas dear to their Christian hosts, the Dutch synagogue acted against them not because other Jews were offended but because they might be offending their Christian hosts! Is that pragmatism or what?!

And today, look at how the Vatican reacts to pedophile priests in its ranks. A very grudging and belated apology and no handing them over to the law enforcement agencies. And a few weeks later, they declared ordaining woman priests an act at par with raping children. It’s all about power, or more precisely men-power. It’s all about closing ranks behind one of their own priests, pedophile though he be. Doesn’t that sound similar to how political parties behave?

The West sure got a whole lot of good things from the Greeks. Unfortunately, they also inherited God in governance. And since governance is a messy business, so God in the West too gets dragged into making pragmatic choices (like what the Jews did in the example above) or just protecting his “own” (like what the Vatican does).