Universe of Platonic Thought 2022

30th International Conference “The Universe of Platonic Thought: Plato and European Philosophy”

Igor Tantlevskij, DSc in Philosophy, Professor; Saint Petersburg State University (Saint Petersburg, Russia), Head of Department

Antique Parallels from the 5th Century B.C.E. to Qoh. 12:7*

As a certain parallel to the idea expressed in Qoh. 12:7 (“And the dust shall return to the earth, which it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it”), we can point to fragments from Euripides: “That which is of the earth returns to the earth, the same which is born of the etheric seed returns to the heavenly pole” (“Chrysippus”; fr. 839, 8–11); “The spirit is to the ether (πνεῦμα μὲν πρὸς αἰθέρα), and the body to the earth” (“The Suppliants,” 533–534; see also: fr. 971). Another parallel to Qoh. 12:7 is found in an Attic public inscription commemorating the Athenian soldiers killed at Potidaea (432 B.C.E.): “The ether took (their) souls, [the earth (took)] the bodies...” This view correlates with Empedocles’ assertion that there is neither birth (φύσις) nor death, but only the mixing and subsequent separation of mixed elements (cf.: B 8–9, 11, 15), and the thought of Anaxagoras, who said that “birth and death are tantamount” to “change (ἀλλλοιοῦσθαι) only” (Arist. GC I, 314a.14–15). In Euripides’ tragedy “Helen”, the heroine expresses the idea that all “mind” (ὁ νοῦς) “does not live” on the death of the body, it dies “in immortal ether”; but in ether the “immortal” γνώμη which the “mind” of man “possesses” persists.

Keywords: Qoheleth, Ecclesiastes, Euripides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, immortality of spirit/soul, γνώμη, νοῦς

Besides the deeply pessimistic thoughts and opinions expressed by Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes; probably 5th century B.C.E., Jerusalem), he is also aware of quite optimistic ideas, for example: “Who knows whether the spirit (רוח) of the sons of men ascends upward, or whether the spirit of the animal descends downward into the earth?” (Qoh. 3:21; cf. also: 7:14; 11:4, 5a). Thus, Qoheleth, in addition to the idea of the descent of all spirits to the earth / the underground abode of Sheol, is also aware of the concept of the ascent of the spirit of (righteous and wise) man to heaven, to its Creator. It is this doctrine to which he ultimately leans, for he concludes his writings with this statement: “And the dust shall return to the earth, which it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it” (Qoh. 12:7; cf.: Gen. 6:3: “And the LORD said, ‘My Spirit is not destined (to abide) in man (באדם [bā-ʼādām], which is formed of ‘the dust of the earth’ [האדמה, hā-ʼădāmāh; see: Gen. 2:7; also: Gen. 3:19; Job 34:15]. — I. T.) eternally, since he (also) is flesh...”).

As for the metaphorical description of man’s departure “to his eternal home” (אל בית עולמו; 12:5сα) preceding this conclusion, in this context “eternal home” can be understood both as a tomb for the body and as the return of the spirit to God (given that Qoheleth repeatedly puts new meaning into well-established concepts). In connection with the latter assumption one may point as a parallel to Cic. de Nat. D. III, 41, where a quotation from Lucius Accius (170 – c. 86 B.C.E.) that the soul of Hercules moved “to the eternal house of the father (in domum aeternam patris)” is attested. (Cf. also, e.g.: 2 Cor. 5:1.)

As a certain parallel to the idea expressed in Qoh. 12:7, we can point to fragments from Euripides (c. 480–406): “That which is of the earth returns to the earth, the same which is born of the etheric seed returns to the heavenly pole” (“Chrysippus”; fr. 839, 8–11 [ed. Nauck]); “The spirit is to the ether (πνεῦμα μὲν πρὸς αἰθέρα), and the body to the earth” (“The Suppliants,” 533–534; see also: fr. 971 [ed. Nauck]). Note that “soul” (ψυχή) or “mind” (νοῦς), according to the ancient Greek conceptions of this period, have the nature of “breath” / “spirit” (πνεῦμα), consisting of substance that is taken from the light ether of the upper heaven and eventually returns to it. This view correlates with Empedocles’ (c. 492–432) assertion that there is neither birth (φύσις) nor death, but only the mixing and subsequent separation of mixed elements (cf.: B 8–9, 11, 15 [DK]), and the thought of Anaxagoras (c. 500–428), who said that “birth and death are tantamount” to “change (ἀλλλοιοῦσθαι) only” (Arist. GC I, 314a.14–15). In Euripides’ tragedy “Helen” in the context of words about “retribution” (τίσις), including posthumous (1013–1014), the heroine expresses the idea that all “mind” (ὁ νοῦς) “does not live” on the death of the body, it dies “in immortal ether”; but in ether the “immortal” γνώμη which the “mind” of man “possesses” persists. Probably, in the 5th century B.C.E. the idea crystallised that, returning to the divine (see, e.g.: Aeschylus, “Prometheus Chained”, 88; Euripides, fr. 839 (“Chrysippus”), 1) aether, man’s γνώμη unites with the divine γνώμη, the rationality that rules the world. (It is possible that the idea of an immortal part of the mind designated as γνώμη somehow correlates with Heraclitus’ (c. 540–480) conception of “Mind” (γνώμη) “which alone rules the whole universe” (B 41 DK), aka “Wise Being” (τὸ σοφόν).

Another parallel to Qoh. 12:7 is found in an Attic public inscription commemorating the Athenian soldiers killed at Potidaea (432 B.C.E.): “The ether took (their) souls, [the earth (took)] the bodies... (αἰθὲρ μὲμ φσυχὰς ὑπεδέχσατο, σόμ̣[ατα δὲ χθὸν]" (IG I³, 1179 [eds. Kirchhoff et al.]).

* This research was carried out thanks to the funding of the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 22-28-01221 at Saint-Petersburg State University