In Basil of Caesarea’s writings, there are some impressive consolatory letters. His purpose in them is assuaging the deep grief of the bereaved through an expression of sympathy, not a removal of emotion like grief. In monastic life, however, he regards freedom from emotion (apatheia) as an aim for monks. Basil’s attitude toward one’s pathē or emotions might seem paradoxical. In this paper, I will explore the relationship of the two very different contexts of discussion in his works, one derived from Stoic apatheia and the other from Peripatetic metriopatheia or moderate emotion, against a background of ancient Greek philosophy and Christian thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment