PHIL1070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Allegory, Pre-Socratic Philosophy
Document Summary
Someone who uses scripture to prove other people are heretics. Wanted to experience god through physical actions/encounters. They want an experience of god rather than proving someone wrong. Had a spiritual crisis and abandoned his whole family and all his riches to wander in the desert for 2 years. Stopped teaching in public and began writing instead. What he knows about god and why those things are true. One of the first to challenge greek doctrine and the existence of essences. 4 possible ways to relieve doubt: theologians/mutazilites: Use scriptures to prove other people wrong. Only defend themselves against non-believers - never actually create new knowledge: batinyah: Allegorical interpretation of scripture rather than literal. Hard to determine what to believe and how and not everything should be interpreted. If truth is unchanging and there are multiple allegorical truths how do we know which truth is true: philosophers:
