Judeo-Christian & Greco-Roman PerspectivesLaw, Reason, & Faith

What are we looking @O How are their perspectives similar?O How are their perspectives different?

Similar & Different about what?

O The law, reason, faith, duties of the individual

What are laws?

What does reason mean?

What about Faith?

Duties of the individual

OK! Lets get started!O Greco-Roman? HUH? Who are they?

GreeksO GreeksO 8th century b.c.e.O polis- city-stateO center of Greek lifeO politics

But what is it?O City-stateO Town, city, or village O Center/higher areaO People meetO Political reasonsO Market place/plaza

First you get the money…

O Actually no!O 3 groups in a polisO Citizens with political rights

O Who?O Citizens with no political rights

O Who?O Non-citizens

O Who ?

Please allow me to introduce myself!

O Aristotle-Greek philosopherO “We must rather regard every citizen

as belonging to the state.”

Greek TyrantsO Who are tyrants?O Not super wicked!O They were good for GreeceO Got rid of aristocratsO Democracy could flourish

DemocracyO Direct-democracy-u vote for lawsO Republic-democracy-u vote for

representatives to make laws

We already met…O Now lets meet PlatoO PhilosopherO “Professional thinker”O Men & women should have access to

schoolO 3 groups:

O Philosopher KingsO WarriorsO Everyone else

Back to AristotleO 3 good types of governments

O MonarchyO AristocracyO Constitutional government

O Studied 158 state constitutions

Now lets travel to Rome

Dos, two,deuxO GroupsO Patricians-wealthy land ownersO Plebeians-everyone else

Down with the King!O Created a republicO What was that again?

Roman SenateO 300 patricians serve for life

O Also had peoples assemblies

O A system of laws

O Wasn’t very good

Moooooove-get out the way!

O Rome spread all overO They conquered O Biggest empires everO Spread ideas like Christianity

What is that?O Jewish prophet named JesusO “love God and one another” O Went around preaching

They freaked outO Saw Jesus as a threat to the Roman

empireO They turned him over O He was crucifiedO Followers became known as

ChristiansO After his death, Jesus’ ideas spread

Believed in only 1 GodO Wouldn’t participate in Roman

ceremoniesO Honored Roman gods and emperorsO ProblemsO Eventually it couldn’t be contained

Roman & Christian views

O Virtue/stand up for one’s ideasO Duty to one’s community & the state

But…O Christians believed that nothing

should come before one’s relationship with God!

O This is where they differ the most

Greeks, Romans, and Christians

O Shared a devotion to duty and virtue O Allowed the WEST to blend their

ideas into government.

Lets Break it downO Greco-Roman views:

O Citizens should participate in government

O The world has natural laws-can be discovered through reason

O There should be written lawsO Democracy can be protected by

having three branches

ChristiansO Every person is born with worth and

dignityO Every person has the ability to

choose between doing good and badO Every person has the responsibility

to help others in need and the community

The End