Philosophy
This has been circulating for about a week or so. I don't think much of it, but read the introduction and then visit his website.
A former IT type, nowadays a part-time professor of scientific philosophy, says he has cracked a "hidden mathematical musical code" in the works of the famous ancient Greek savant Plato.
According to Dr Jay Kennedy, a visiting scholar at Manchester uni, his discovery "shows us how to combine science and religion", perhaps putting an end to "today's culture wars" between irritable god-botherers and strident atheists. Indeed Kennedy says his work will "revolutionise the history of the birth of Western thought".
"Basically I cracked the code," adds the doc. "I have shown rigorously that the books do contain codes and symbols...
"This is a true discovery, not simply reinterpretation.
"The result was amazing – it was like opening a tomb and finding new set of gospels written by Jesus Christ himself."
Dr Kennedy tells us that his early studies were in "mathematics and computers", followed by a PhD in philosophy. He says he put himself through university by repairing computers, in fact. Nowadays, "my partner has a job which requires frequent travel, and so I am the primary caregiver for Lily and John and teach part-time".
Having become an academic, Dr Kennedy has specialised in such fields as history of mathematics, philosophy of science, "primitive pseudo-sciences" and "the numerology and music theory which was at the heart of early Pythagoreanism".
Having carried out mathematical and musical analysis of Plato's writings, Kennedy contends that they are organised as precisely calculated works of music. He says this was intended to convey "the radical idea that the universe is controlled not by the gods on Olympus but by mathematical and scientific law". According to the doc, this idea would get you in severe trouble with the old-time Greek priesthood, hence the hidden code.
"After [Plato's mentor] Socrates was executed for sowing doubts about Greek religion, Plato had every reason to hide his commitment to a scientific view of the cosmos," states Kennedy.
There are actually some different interpretations of why Socrates was handed a drink of hemlock by the jurors of old Athens - a lot of people would say his apparent admiration of the Spartan victors in the Peloponnesian War and his constant public criticism of Athenian "democratic" politics had much to do with it.
But no matter. Kennedy goes on to say that in any event, Plato was no Dawkins-style god basher. While he recognised that the universe was bound by laws written in ancient Greek musico-maths, not the whim of stroppy superbeings up a mountain, he - according to the doc - acknowledged a higher power:
The doc goes on to day that this is vital stuff:
The idea that classical philosophy is the foundation of all Western thought is a very common one, especially among those who have studied the classics, though it has been on the wane the last fifty years or so. A lot of people nowadays would give the scholars of the Renaissance a higher ranking relative to the Ancients than they themselves did.
Then, the notion that Shakespeare is a greater popular hero than the armoured Henry V whose name he made to shine so bright - or other stainless warrior knights like Galahad or Roland before him, or the Jedi after - is perhaps more curious. Anyway, even the ancients tended to turn away from Plato now and again to a rattling good tale of arms and the man, or love and war.
Plato himself may have a warning for Kennedy and his search for mathematical meaning in the texts:
Even so, Kennedy's paper will no doubt give rise to a lot of cheery academic debate, which people will be able to join in without actually having to learn any very hard maths. So it should be very popular.
If you wish to plow through this...
Jay Kennedy's website
- A Feminist Criticism Of The Republic.
Many of Plato?s ideas about women?s roles in society are extreme for his time. His reformist ideas push for equality between men and women in every role of society, from the military to the guardians. While this is a feminist argument, it is undermined...
- Philosophy Talks In Athens 2015
A weekly program of two introductory talks is being given in central Athens this spring 2015 during all of May and June. (Hopefully, a similar program of talks will be arranged for the Autumn 2015 This will be confirmed later in the year.) Further...
- Is The ?socratic? And ?platonic? Philosophical Tradition The Same Thing ?
Socrates & Plato - ?Bite Size Chunk? ? No. 1 (Posted by James Head - Autumn 2011) Is the ?Socratic? and ?Platonic? Philosophical Tradition the Same Thing ? People often talk about the Socratic-Platonic philosophical tradition as if they are the...
- Horizon - What Is Reality?
Ancient Greek philosophers like Parmenides, Zeno and Plato stumbled upon a radical discovery: the distinction between appearance and reality. If we are to ask the question of what reality is (and how we can know this), our best bet at finding some sort...
- Josh And Brian "sci-phi" Blog
Sci-PhiA most interesting blog. As stated... Sci-Phi is an interdisciplinary blog that looks at the scientific and philosophical topics of the early 21st century. Josh studies biological sciences, with a future in nanomedicine. He covers all science topics,...
Philosophy
Jay Kennedy's Plato interpretation
This has been circulating for about a week or so. I don't think much of it, but read the introduction and then visit his website.
"Secret ancient code, basis of all modern civilisation, cracked"
'As big as Jesus' diary' claims ex IT-guy prof
by
Lewis Page
June 29th, 2010
Science
'As big as Jesus' diary' claims ex IT-guy prof
by
Lewis Page
June 29th, 2010
Science
A former IT type, nowadays a part-time professor of scientific philosophy, says he has cracked a "hidden mathematical musical code" in the works of the famous ancient Greek savant Plato.
According to Dr Jay Kennedy, a visiting scholar at Manchester uni, his discovery "shows us how to combine science and religion", perhaps putting an end to "today's culture wars" between irritable god-botherers and strident atheists. Indeed Kennedy says his work will "revolutionise the history of the birth of Western thought".
"Basically I cracked the code," adds the doc. "I have shown rigorously that the books do contain codes and symbols...
"This is a true discovery, not simply reinterpretation.
"The result was amazing – it was like opening a tomb and finding new set of gospels written by Jesus Christ himself."
Dr Kennedy tells us that his early studies were in "mathematics and computers", followed by a PhD in philosophy. He says he put himself through university by repairing computers, in fact. Nowadays, "my partner has a job which requires frequent travel, and so I am the primary caregiver for Lily and John and teach part-time".
Having become an academic, Dr Kennedy has specialised in such fields as history of mathematics, philosophy of science, "primitive pseudo-sciences" and "the numerology and music theory which was at the heart of early Pythagoreanism".
Having carried out mathematical and musical analysis of Plato's writings, Kennedy contends that they are organised as precisely calculated works of music. He says this was intended to convey "the radical idea that the universe is controlled not by the gods on Olympus but by mathematical and scientific law". According to the doc, this idea would get you in severe trouble with the old-time Greek priesthood, hence the hidden code.
"After [Plato's mentor] Socrates was executed for sowing doubts about Greek religion, Plato had every reason to hide his commitment to a scientific view of the cosmos," states Kennedy.
There are actually some different interpretations of why Socrates was handed a drink of hemlock by the jurors of old Athens - a lot of people would say his apparent admiration of the Spartan victors in the Peloponnesian War and his constant public criticism of Athenian "democratic" politics had much to do with it.
But no matter. Kennedy goes on to say that in any event, Plato was no Dawkins-style god basher. While he recognised that the universe was bound by laws written in ancient Greek musico-maths, not the whim of stroppy superbeings up a mountain, he - according to the doc - acknowledged a higher power:
For Plato, the beauty and order inherent in mathematical law meant its source was divine (a Pythagorean version of modern deism). Plato may light a middle way through today's culture wars.
The doc goes on to day that this is vital stuff:
Plato's importance cannot be overstated. He shifted humanity from a warrior society to a wisdom society. Today our heroes are Einstein and Shakespeare – and not knights in shining armour – because of him.
The idea that classical philosophy is the foundation of all Western thought is a very common one, especially among those who have studied the classics, though it has been on the wane the last fifty years or so. A lot of people nowadays would give the scholars of the Renaissance a higher ranking relative to the Ancients than they themselves did.
Then, the notion that Shakespeare is a greater popular hero than the armoured Henry V whose name he made to shine so bright - or other stainless warrior knights like Galahad or Roland before him, or the Jedi after - is perhaps more curious. Anyway, even the ancients tended to turn away from Plato now and again to a rattling good tale of arms and the man, or love and war.
Plato himself may have a warning for Kennedy and his search for mathematical meaning in the texts:
A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers. [Laches/Courage]
Even so, Kennedy's paper will no doubt give rise to a lot of cheery academic debate, which people will be able to join in without actually having to learn any very hard maths. So it should be very popular.
If you wish to plow through this...
Jay Kennedy's website
- A Feminist Criticism Of The Republic.
Many of Plato?s ideas about women?s roles in society are extreme for his time. His reformist ideas push for equality between men and women in every role of society, from the military to the guardians. While this is a feminist argument, it is undermined...
- Philosophy Talks In Athens 2015
A weekly program of two introductory talks is being given in central Athens this spring 2015 during all of May and June. (Hopefully, a similar program of talks will be arranged for the Autumn 2015 This will be confirmed later in the year.) Further...
- Is The ?socratic? And ?platonic? Philosophical Tradition The Same Thing ?
Socrates & Plato - ?Bite Size Chunk? ? No. 1 (Posted by James Head - Autumn 2011) Is the ?Socratic? and ?Platonic? Philosophical Tradition the Same Thing ? People often talk about the Socratic-Platonic philosophical tradition as if they are the...
- Horizon - What Is Reality?
Ancient Greek philosophers like Parmenides, Zeno and Plato stumbled upon a radical discovery: the distinction between appearance and reality. If we are to ask the question of what reality is (and how we can know this), our best bet at finding some sort...
- Josh And Brian "sci-phi" Blog
Sci-PhiA most interesting blog. As stated... Sci-Phi is an interdisciplinary blog that looks at the scientific and philosophical topics of the early 21st century. Josh studies biological sciences, with a future in nanomedicine. He covers all science topics,...