Great Works at 10.20am Spring 2015

Plato’s Symposium describes the different levels of authority in connection to seeking out love. The reader is given several different explanations about which kind of love is the purist and between what two authorities. The dominant authority in Athens during this time was Man. After being a mane the next level is being free and then being a citizen. Above all though the man has to be white. The submissive consisted of women, slaves, young boys, and people of color.
One idea is that the dominant male is the penetrator where the submissive is the penetrated. The ideal most “heavenly love” is that between a free male citizen and a free young boy citizen. This relationship provides the dominate male with all of the authority. He is not only trusted to mentor the child but also teach him his place in the world. This can lead to sexual contact but it does not have too. This allows for some sharing of authority between the lovers. The young male’s power comes from being the beloved, it allows him to control a piece of the male mentor because of their love for one another. An upstanding male citizen would not do anything untoward or shameful in front of their young lover. This is the young mans since of authority however small it is.
A second idea relies on no one individual having all the authority over another but instead a couple that sees it sleep as equals that Socrates introduces. This type of love is between two minds not two bodies. This love allows you to fall for the other person mind; their hopes, dreams, failures, everything. Their love transcends past the physical and becomes purely intellectual to the point where you are no longer in love with the individual but with the conversations themselves. Once this level is reached the authority the other lover had over the other is gone. They are now able to share themselves with not just one person is anyone they choose. They can now fall in love with the personalities of people instead of thier body or their social class, or age. This love allows authority over everyone without it being power.
Authority and love in Athens is a vastly complicated affair. The older man has to worry about mentoring his young lover and making sure he knows his place in the city. He is gifted with this burden that will either bring him joy or frustration. This is because of all the ways love and authority are interpreted in the City of Athens. Many speeches were told at the Symposium explaining or praising the God of Love Eros and how they’re definitions differed from other cultures of the same era. The two ideas discussed are a brief outline for what authority meant in a time of male dominance. The role of women is not even discussed until the very last speech illustrating that they still were not thought of as more than object to be loved but not to love.

The divine right to rule is a term associated with European Christian kings during the medieval age and is defined as the source of a king’s authority derived from God. King’s commands were never questioned since they were perceived as being commands from God himself, much like the Quran was written by God though Prophet Mohammed. King Amenhotep IV along with his queen used the same philosophy when they started their movement to establish Aten as Egypt’s main deity. By establishing Aten as the primary source of prosperity, Amenhotep secured his power based in Egypt for two decades.

The text is filled with references of prosperity, which are attributed to Aten. References range from describing the Sun as the source of abundance and well-being of nature as described as “[t]rees, herbs, are sprouting” to providing fertility in women. The reason this is significant is because, since the Pharaoh is directly connected to Aten, the Pharaoh’s authority is derived from Aten himself. This is most evident in the conclusion of the text when the hymn states: “You rouse them for your son who came from your body,” describing the authority granted by Aten the Pharaoh possess over his subjects.

It is possible that Amenhotep did honestly believe he was the son of Aten, and was entrusted by Aten to enlighten the minds of his subjects. The reason this assumption remains false comes from the fact that after Amenhotep died, his descendants failed to maintain the social order their father established. It would seem plausible that if Amenhotep viewed himself as the son of Aten, then his own son would be a direct decent and entitled to the same right to rule. Their failure in maintaining order speaks to the Egyptian people’s belief that Amenhotep and his family were wrong in assigning Aten as the main deity in their culture and it was ultimately rejected.

That leads us to the conclusion that Amenhotep was merely attempting to use the belief in Aten to assert a religious authority upon his people. Since it is nearly impossible to invalidate religious beliefs, since the concept of religion is based on experiences we cannot physically perceive, Amenhotep was briefly successful in his plot to maintain power and ensure his legacy. We still see many cases of Amenhotep in today’s world, although not as extreme, with different types of religious groups vying for new believers.

Victor Menezes

King Unis, whose story carved on the wall inside the pyramid, brought fear to ancient Egyptians with his power and ability to eat people. His authority comes from the gods, his fetchers, and his people.

Gods give Unis the power. Unis is the son of Atum, the creator god, so it is natural that he has the blessing from god. “His gods atop him”, and they allow him to eat. Although Unis is the son, he is more powerful than his father, meaning Death is more powerful than Life. Unis “who lives on the evolution of every god. who eats their bowels when they have come from the Isle of Flame with their belly filled with magic” has the power to eat not only people but also gods, and he is like a rolling snow ball, the more he eats, the more power he gains. Then, the god’s father Orion verifies him as “the greatest controlling” and “the lord of the Akhet”. Through God, Unis can eat whoever he want, and through his capable to eat, he becomes the king of god.

Fetchers, assistants, upgrade Unis’s ability to eat. Unis is a king with assistants who guard him and assist him in the task of butchery. Unis is not a barbarian who just grabs people or gods and than eats them. He is a noble man who is served by his fetchers. Grasper lassoes people, Serpent guards them, Gory binds them, Courser slits them and cleans their body, and finally, Shezmu, a god of punishment, cooks for him. Unis is not justeat people simply, he is enjoying them. He has adults as breakfast, middle-sizes as dinner, children as snack, and older and women as fuel. Unis’s authority shows up through his rigorous menu and organized fetchers.

When Unis is born, appearing in the world, they sky turns and the whole earth is shaken. This scene of disaster, “the most sacred of sacred images” makes people fear him at the beginning. People, as Unis’s food, has no choice but fear him. Unis is immortal, so this fear will stay continuously. As the text states at the end, “those who do evil deeds will not be able to hack up the place of unis’s heart among the living in this world forever continually.” Unis even plays a role as judge and rules them. Bad people will be eaten by him over and over. Unis shows his power on people He eats them, scares them, and controls their faith with his authority.

As a powerful king of God who lives on people, Unis is not evil. He represents Death, and everyone comes to him one day even gods.

Dharma; the code of conduct followed by Hindi’s the world over. In the story Ramayana Valmiki uses his character’s epic journey to afford his readers a great insight into what it is and how to follow it. Women prior to this story were largely excluded or undermined in the text. Historically he introduces us to one of the first female protagonist. Sita, wife of our princely main character, should play a key role here story by demonstrating how Hindi women should conduct themselves within Dharma. It could be expected that she would hold herself to great esteem to uphold this ideal. The text should support this idea. Although reading the text a very different guiding force seems to be at play.

Valmiki introduces Sita as her husband briskly but sternly tells her that he has been banished to the forest for fourteen years and she cannot accompany him. In this situation the command from her husband should be followed but only if it did not interfere with a basic dharmic rules. His command does and dharma dictates that Sita stay by her husband’s side. This she does and fervently argues to insure this saying, “You mentioned the righteousness of serving your people: but, your father’s command that you should go to the forest demand I should go, too; I am your half: because of this, again I cannot live without you.” Her argument here leans on a major rule in Dharma; a wife should not part from her husband for any reason. This should begin to establish her devotion in following Dharma as she uses it to borrow power convincing her husband she should go with him.

At the end of the story our princess has been returned to her prince after the god king Ravana has been killed. He attempted to steal then woo her into being his wife but Sita resisted. As Dharma would stipulate she should not fall faint on her commitment to her husband for the power, beauty, and domination that is at her fingertips. Rama based, on the custom, told her that she was tainted due to her forced interaction with Ravana. She refutes this claim and argues: “That which was under my control, my heart, has always been yours.” Not only does she love her husband but she followed her dharmic path by resisted the advances of her godly suitor within her abilities.

The most telling part of this epic occurs midway through our story. Sita crosses paths with the most beautifully adorned deer roaming she had ever laid eyes on. “It is superlative in all respects… it would be a wonderful feat if could be caught… all your brothers and mothers would just adore it… I have lost my heart to that deer” she says pleading with her husband to retrieve this creature so that she may bask in its beauty; fawn over it; and parade its pelt throughout their household. This almost completely contradicts her initial personification as a model Hindu wife. A woman so committed to Hindu beliefs would never allow herself to fall victim to something a trivial as physical beauty. Dharma just doesn’t allow for such things, but the human heart and mind do. Finally we gain sight of her obscure yet dominant motivation.

Dharma and it’s cosmic radiance seems to have been shaded falling short of Sita’s inner dwellings. This woman has never been directly motivated by Dharma. She sought approval or belonging with those she loved and amidst her love. Her personal feelings coincidentally fall in line with her Dharmic path. She took no authority from Dharma, instead she followed her own desires siting this spiritual force as a means to acquiesce the minds of others. Sita has been, from beginning to end, governed by her feelings; making her her own authority.

Kareem Wright

Genesis, a book on the creation of man, the creation of the world, and all of it’s inner extremities. A book on the creation of life. Man seems to find himself in a garden, superior to all. In this book light and dark was introduced. The concept of good, and evil was brought to light. It was made clear that the light and the dark should be separated. “And, God called the light day, and the darkness he called night”.

God created the heavens and the earth, and wanted all of it’s inhabitants to be fruitful, and to multiply. God thought it was important for man to have a companion. God created this companion from the flesh and bone of the man, his companion was to be called woman. Her name was Eve. Eve was seduced into eating from the tree of life by the serpent. The tree from which it was forbidden to eat. The two would soon gain knowledge of good, and evil. “The eyes of the two were opened”. God would soon punish them for their disobedience, and exile them from the Garden of Eden.

The woman, and Adam were clearly disobedient, to their lord God. They were specifically asked not to eat from the tree. The tree being metaphorical for knowledge, and all of the fruit it bears. Their act was evil, for they were promised everything and lived superior to all. They had one commandment to follow, and they broke it. On the other hand, they had no knowledge of their actions, and Eve was tricked into eating from the tree. “Now the serpent was most cunning of all the beasts of the field that the

lord God made.

Genesis introduces the knowledge of good, and evil, and our ability to make our own choices. We are shown how we can be punished for our disobedience. According to the text the reason why we suffer currently is because of the transgressions of Adam, and Eve.

Authority can be defined as someone or something that has the power to define or control people or situations within a specific environment. An authoritative figure can be portrayed as a demanding figure in some ways or it can be just someone or something that a person looks up to with respect.

The story Ramayana which was written by Valmiki follows the path of Rama’s life when he was exiled to when his throne was rightfully returned to him and he became king. The path of Rama’s life is set forth by his Dharma. In Hinduism, Dharma is one’s way of life or a set of “rules and obligations” that one has to follow throughout his life. Even though Dharma is not a physical being it is still considered an authority over those in the Hindu religion.  Dharma is a devotion to truth. It defines what it is you are supposed to do; it is not a specific definition of what is good versus what is bad. Each person has his or her own Dharma that they have to follow.

According to the Dharma one should follow the guru, the king and his father respectively in that order. This is why when Rama obeyed his father without question when his father made it known that he would have his son exiled instead of receiving the throne as king. One of Rama’s father’s wives said to Rama “If you wish to establish that both you and your father are both devoted to truth, let Bharata be crowned … and go away to the forest for fourteen years” (1177).  Even though Rama’s father did not utter these words out of his own mouth, and there was no explanation as to why his father actually agreed to have him exiled Rama obeyed his wishes completely and does as his father wished.

The obligation that Dharma has over people is constantly shown also with his wife Sita. A wife’s Dharma dictates that a wife should always stand by her husband. The most important part this is shown in the story is when Rama goes home to her to tell her about his father’s wishes. Rama tried to persuade Sita to stay back and live her life as much as she could and to this she replied “Serving you, I shall not incur the sin of leaving your parents: thus I have heard from those who are well versed in the Vedas and other scriptures that a devoted wife remains united with her husband even after they leave this earth-plane” (1182). Sita is very devoted to her husband and her love for him makes her better able to follow her Dharma that she should always serve her husband.

One could say that Dharma is a demanding type of authority. It is set to be followed and should always be followed no matter the circumstances. . But if one follow his Dharma completely it could lead him to prosperity and happiness throughout his lifetime. During the story of Ramayana, Rama actually is thought to be strayed away from his Dharma and does the opposite of what it is that he is supposed to do. However, one could argue that if Dharma is to be completely followed then maybe when Rama is thought to have strayed he is actually following his own personal Dharma which leads him to defeat the demon Ravana and is given back his throne when he returned home.

Shauna Fearon

Many of what we have read this semester has focused on the theme of authority. Texts that we have covered, from Genesis to Plato’s Symposium, have male-dominant authority figures. The Qur’an, on the other hand, portrayed a strong female authority figure, known as Mary.

Beginning the story of Mary, the passage opens with “Mention in the Qur’an the story of Mary.” (pg. 93). The fact the Qur’an has an excerpt within the text titled “Mary” telling of her story is one clear example of how Mary is seen as an important female figure. Many women mentioned in texts from this era portrayed women as being less inferior to men— husbands, brothers, etc. Mary, on the other hand was a purified women chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus.

Continuing on with the text, it states “We sent Our Spirit to appear before her in the form of a perfected man” to “announce to you the gift of a purified son.” (pg.93). This here represents the significance of Mary. “We” in the text is represented as God speaking through Mohammad. The fact that God chose Mary instead of a Khadija (pg. 104), or any other woman, shows that she has something special. Gods Spirit was sent to Mary and no one else because she was chosen for a specific job, just like Mohammad.

Also, Mary’s ability to obey Gods wishes to bear a child while “no man has touched me.” (pg. 93) Because Mary was a virgin and gave birth to a child “her people” (pg. 93) said to her that she has “done something terrible.” (pg. 93) She followed Gods wishes and remained strong when “her people” questioned her virginity. She exemplified one with outstanding obedience and faith in God to bear a child with no husband or the identity of the father of her child.

Lastly, “Jesus son of Mary” (pg. 94) has been used to identify Jesus in the Qur’an, and many other works of literature. This correlation of someone who God “has granted me the Scripture; made me a prophet; made me blessed wherever I may be” “to cherish my mother” (pg. 94) makes it impossible not to bind the dual concept of Mary-Jesus. Having these two figures providing meaning to one another makes Mary that much more of an authority figure. Without her, how would people identify Jesus.

God chose Mary to be a female authority figure for believers because of her chastity, obedience, and faith. God chooses people who desire to do God’s will, are willing to pay the cost, and have faith and trust in God’s promises. Throughout Mary’s journey she stayed faithful to God by being willing to carry a child despite what people would think/say because she had faith in God. Mary encompasses everything good he wants his believer to look up to. There is no other authority like Mary.

-Miriam McCallion

During the heroic telling of Ramayana, Valmiki writes that Hanuman (a god) has been entrusted with the responsibility to find and possibly retrieve the abducted wife of warrior Prince Rama. In chapters Sundara 2 and the first two paragraphs of Sundara 3 concepts such as personal character, what constitutes good, and the importance of having him seemingly shoulder another man’s responsibility are innovatively exposed. Readers are given a surprisingly clear, concise, and deliberate explanation of what these should be and mean by Valmiki.

Valmiki produces Hanuman to solidify the understanding of what personal character should be in the face of adversary. Hanuman says “I must be very careful, cautious and vigilant” and “therefore I should consider well… all the pros and cons.” He is referenced to be wise, self-reflective, small, alone, and able to control his feelings. As someone who consistently thinks through his thoughts Hanuman can maintain his path and focus with little influence from external parameters. This visual leads to a coherent grasp of what it means to be good. His opponent’s on the other are represented using terms like “armed to the teeth” and “one cannot negotiate with these demons… by peaceful means.” They are identified as large, quick to act, and without reason. Nearly the opposite, readers have an exaggerated but vital contrast of how humans and demons should behave. Here the author highlights the resolve of Hanuman while establishing how one should retain their esteem while under duress. He provides a clear image of how even against formidable odds our resolve should not wane.

In addition, during this part of the story we are also rewarded with a very clean concept of what our overarching moral is throughout this epic; Dharma. Here it is shown that above all we must follow Dharma. To be good is to follow Dharma. To alienate Dharma is to do wrong; but unquestioned pursuit is right. Over and over during this scene we are offered instances where Hanuman faces obstacles but continually finds ways to follow his Dharma. His importance here is to imbed the concept that we are to follow our own Dharmic path what every “It” may be. Hanuman has been almost destined if not guided by his Dharma to take on such as task. He is one of four that can cross the oceans to the island Kingdom Lanka. Furthermore he as a god is gifted with the ability to be very subtle to minimize his presence by becoming meek and small. This coupled with the wisdom and cunning of a stern mind allows him to easily survey the island kingdom undetected. Readers are allowed to only now fully grasp why our main character has been replaced by such a being. Rama (the main protagonist) just could not physically accomplish this task. Rama during this story is trying to regain his path to Dharmic harmony after straying through multiple missteps. Hanuman on the other hand has followed his path granting him the ability to succeed without his obstructions impeding his progress thanks to his faith in Dharma.

Valmiki uses Hanuman to help readers better define what is done as opposed to what is expected. Early in the story it vague abstract notions are left for the readers to latch on to. These resemble typical situations that one may find themselves in. Now as Valmiki turns away from the negative effects of not following Dharma he places Hanuman here to being to open our eyes to what can happen when we do.   Hanuman the first clean example of how we should and should think of troubles and how we respond in terms of our own Dharmic path.

When Rama was first told he was losing his kingship and kingdom he was (pgs 1179-1182):

– Willing and accepting to lose his kingdom

– Understanding (apart of Dharma)

– Start of following Dharma

– Peaceful

When Rama wife got abducted he was (pgs 1198-1202):

– Unstable

– Not understanding

– Frustrated

– Angry

– Bitter

– Lost touch with Dharma

– Resentful

– Violent

Jatayu the vulture king fighting with Ravana who is carrying Sita

The scene opens up with Hanuman and his companion Angada sitting on a flat surface while a vulture approaches them who they believe is death, Angada begins to say that “Death has come upon us in the form of this vulture, much like the noble Jatayu gave up his life in order to serve Rama.” The vulture over hears this and tells them that Jatayu was his brother and that he has not heard from him in a very long time, so Hanuman and Angada tell the story to Sampati the younger vulture brother about the heroic tale of his brother Jatayu. The reason why this scene is so important in the epic of Ramayana is due to the fact that there are many similarities between Sampati and Jatayu compared to Rama and his brother Laksmana as well as the choices they make during their journey such as:

• When Sampati jumped in front of Jatayu to protect him from the heat of the sun having his wings burnt and falling down would be like Rama protecting Laksmana, that brotherly bond
• Sampati follows his own dharma such as placing the guru at the highest point in the authoritative chain when he visits the sage Nisakara
• The separation of the two vulture brothers, after Sampati falls down to the ground in Janasthana and Jatayu landed in Vindhya bares a similar resemblance to the splitting up of Rama and Sita putting their dharma to the test
• When Sampati tells the story how how Sita is still alive to Hanuman and Angada his wings regrow allowing him to be of service to Rama just like his brother was when he fought Ravana