This is a paper I wrote for my political philosophy class. I actually enjoyed writting it and like it, so I'm posting it here.

Reason versus Faith. That's the eternal battle mankind faces. It’s a battle that, if history is any clue, will never end. Is it a sin to doubt our God (or gods, or Goddess, whichever is your preference), a sign of a lack of faith, or is it a sign of philosophical inquiry that leads one on the path to Truth? Should our moral and ethical codes be based on the dictates of a divine being, or on a rational path to a good life? These are the questions that have plagued humanity for ages. These are the questions that have been at the root of countless wars, and countless debates. It is precisely these questions that can explain the conflict between the Greek and Hebraic cultures. Hebraic wisdom is faith-based wisdom, coming directly from the Word of God. Greek wisdom is a scientific wisdom, the first truly secular wisdom.

Believe not because some old manuscripts are produced, believe not because it is your national belief, believe not because you have been made to believe from your childhood, but reason truth out, and after you have analyzed it, then if you find it will do good to one and all, believe it, live up to it, and help others live up to it.

Buddha said it well. The sentiment he expressed closely resembles that of the Greeks. In Greek culture, reason was praised. Education wasn’t about reading old books, memorizing rules set down in them. Education was about learning how to think, not what to think. Greeks taught each other how to figure out the world, to discover truth (or to discover whether there even is Truth). They were able to open the world up to philosophy and science precisely because of their lack of faith, and dependence on reason. Unlike the Hebrews, they didn’t have a written code of behavior that they must follow, or be punished for all eternity. The Greeks also didn’t have a separate class of priests, which allowed more people access to spiritual literature, which naturally leads to more questioning of that literature. Because of these vital differences in the religious framework of the Greeks and the Jews, the Greeks were able to question religion, which lead to secularism. Greek society was very open to agnostic and atheistic views, shown by the famous playwright Critias, who, in his plays, claimed gods were a creation of man to control the mob. This would never have been allowed in Hebraic society, which was very closed-minded when it came to religious deviance.

Because of their different views of religion, the values that governed the Hellenic and Hebraic societies are very different. The Hebrews are largely a guilt-based society, while the Greeks are an honor-based society. The Hebrews were guilt bound because they were told to follow a set of rules, and would face a final judgment day were God would decide whether they followed those rules enough to warrant entrance into Heaven. The Greeks, however, had no set of rules, and no fear of judgment after death, as they all ended up in Hades. The implications of this difference in governing values can be seen most clearly in how each society views taking the life of another human being. The Hebrews would view this as a sin, because it was laid out in the 10 commandments that “Thou shall not kill.” (Though how this works with all the wars they participated in, I still don’t understand). The Greeks, however, viewed killing and necessary and even right in certain circumstances. If a Greeks honor has been offended, he (usually not she) is expected to get revenge, and this usually ended in killing the person who offended you. This was not seen as wrong, or immoral, because honor, not morals, was valued above all else by the Greeks.

The differences between the two societies go on and on, but almost every difference stems from the debate between Reason and Faith. But this isn’t a conflict that only affected these two societies. The debate continues even into current times. Our modern society, with all its philosophical and technological advancement, still goes back and forth on this issue. Questions of whether we should teach Creationism or Evolution in our schools, of whether abortion should be legalized, of whether a biblical definition of marriage is a correct definition, all are questions of reason versus faith. The only difference in this modern day is that these questions exist within a single society, not between two different societies.

Plato was aware of this essential conflict, and through his work tried to bridge the gap between the Hebraic and Hellenistic cultures. In the Myth of Er, Plato was telling people to shape up, to be good, or else they’d be judged unworthy and punished in the afterlife. This is very reminiscent of the view of judgment and punishment held by the Hebrews. Yet, when Plato’s tells people how to shape up, he shows the Hellenistic influence on his work. Plato advocates reason as the path to discover what the good life is. In this way, he blends the two beliefs. Use reason to find out what is right, but do it based on faith. This blend is indeed very similar to the attempt modern Christianity makes at merging reason and faith (or claim it does).

Personally, I don’t understand what all the debate is about. I don’t understand why, with all the knowledge we have, all the learning we, as a society, have done, people still think faith is necessary. I respect faith, but doubt, questioning, reasoning, that’s what educates us, what opens up new worlds of thought. I’ve never understood the idea that I should do something because I’ve been told to, because some old book says to. If it doesn’t make sense why do it? But, I suppose that’s why the debate will never be resolved. I believe it’s next to impossible for people with opposing views on this issue to understand each other. Most religious people I’ve meet don’t understand how I couldn’t have faith in God. They don’t get me, I don’t get them. But without understanding, no resolution can occur. Without understanding, Truth can’t be found. Maybe that’s why this debate has gone on for so long, and will continue for many more ages to come.

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