Thus far in this series, we’ve found the world’s first Naturalistic Pagans in the Greek Ionians, Atomists, and Epicureans, with potentially-naturalistic cousins in the Cynics and Stoics, and a generally conducive atmosphere among the Greek populace. Now we come to a tradition with strong naturalistic leanings: the ancient Skeptics. Examining this complex tradition reveals another potentially naturalistic tradition, and teaches us something important about the definition of naturalism. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were the Cynics and Stoics naturalistic?
January 30, 2014 by 17 Comments
“Live according to nature.” This was the motto of not one but two ancient Greek traditions: the Cynics and Stoics. Were these traditions naturalistic? After exploring their philosophies and concepts of nature, we’ll have a look at their religious practices to see if they can rightly be counted as ancient Naturalistic Pagans. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were Epicurus and the atomists naturalistic?
December 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
If the universe is nothing but atoms, as modern physics proclaims, what place can there be for gods? None, some might say. Surprisingly, this was not the conclusion of the earliest atomists. Ancient Greek naturalists, far from rejecting religion, sought ways to understand religion in naturalistic terms. In short, they became Naturalistic Pagans. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were the Classical Greeks naturalistic?
December 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Last time, we discovered the world’s oldest Naturalistic Pagans* in the Ionian philosophers of ancient Greece. Yet, they comprised no more than a handful of intellectuals in a world full of theists. What was the effect of naturalism on the rest of Greece as it developed in the Classical period? Did it spread through the culture or remain isolated? [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were the Ionian philosophers naturalistic?
November 2, 2013 by 3 Comments
There are those who believe Naturalistic Paganism is but a modern thing, a young sapling in the forest of Paganism. In this article, the truth about its age is discovered. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Was archaic Greece naturalistic?
September 30, 2013 by 5 Comments
This series on the history of ancient naturalism began with an overview that tipped my hand: I think naturalism emerged first in Classical Greece.* So, what was so special about the Greeks? Was their archaic culture (roughly 800 – 480 BCE) already inherently pregnant with the idea of naturalism? [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were archaic Egypt and Mesopotamia naturalistic?
August 22, 2013 by 3 Comments
Could there have been strands of naturalism running through archaic civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia? As in the cases of hunter-gatherers and early agricultural peoples, tempting evidence suggests it is possible, though unlikely. At the same time, there is good reason to believe these civilizations paved the way for the development of naturalism in later eras. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were early agricultural peoples naturalistic?
May 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Early humans depended upon nature for their very existence. However, nature religion does not equal naturalism, a worldview that sees all primary causes originating in nature. Yet agricultural advances during the Neolithic period suggest the possible development of a key prerequisite of naturalism. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were early hunter-gatherers naturalistic?
May 1, 2013 by 6 Comments
Were early hunter-gatherer peoples naturalistic? It is difficult to tell. They were every bit as intelligent and creative as us, and could have created the first naturalistic traditions. Evidence suggests otherwise, however. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Evolution and the Way to Live
March 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Most ancient peoples had some notion of how life came to be, quite sophisticated in some cases, and such ideas shaped conceptions of how to live. What is peculiar, historically speaking, is that modern Western people generally don’t draw such conclusions based on evolution. Values cannot be derived from facts, so they say. [Read more…]
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