Question 1: Short Essay on Issue of Knowledge
Your first paragraph: please address these questions: what types of tensions or anxieties do we see in the ancient sources (Mediterranean Basin area) regarding the issues of humans having access to knowledge? What themes do we see in the Greek myths of Pandora and Prometheus? How is the message in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave perhaps very different? What themes do we see in the Hebrew Scriptures in the book of Genesis?
Your second paragraph: please address a few broader contextual points: Why might there be such anxiety about humans having knowledge? Does this connect to political systems? Explain. Why does this change as we reach a more modern context? Or does it? Explain.
Question 2: Paradox and History
What is the definition of a paradox? What are 3 examples from the ancient era where we see paradox? How do we make sense of paradox from a historical perspective?
Question 3: The Greeks in Our Lives Today
The ancient Greeks are with us, all the time, every day, in many parts of our lives. Using concrete and specific examples, explain. Also, as part of your essay, please include a defintion of the words philosophy and humanism AND a comment about the connections of the Greeks to the Egyptians and other groups of the Mediterranean Basin.
