Philosophy Discussion Forums | A Humans-Only Club for Open-Minded Discussion & Debate

[Sushan]

One can imagine that something like the Garden of Eden (probably multiple) existed within the fertile crescent of ancient times.

No doubt that the myth refers to humans' move from sentience to sapience. Human awareness of time passing, resulting in an awareness of death, has its survival advantages but it also has its costs.

We have more to fear because we perceive unfolding events up ahead rather than responding to each event as it comes. We worry about the sexual impact of our nakedness on others rather than just letting it all flow. We lose that perpetual flow state, no longer living in the present like other animals, but instead we are burdened with our past mistakes and future concerns.

Thus, we were cast out of Eden, never to return (in the mythology, Eden is guarded by cherubim - which are not cute, plump archers but an angelic being, huge and formidable, with the face of a lion, an ox, a human, and an eagle).

I feel the lesson from this myth is understanding. We are all in the same boat. We are flawed, and life is not easy. We can stand in judgement of everything, or we can try to appreciate the dynamics that lead humans to do problematic things.

You have explained it to the point and with the most suitable wordings. I wonder why the author of the Bible thought that it is better to be sentient rather than being sapient. Maybe he wanted to keep the ability to think, reason, and acquire wisdom only to the God (or was it the requirement of God himself, and the serpent destroyed His plan and He chased Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden).

[Sushan]

One can imagine that something like the Garden of Eden (probably multiple) existed within the fertile crescent of ancient times.

No doubt that the myth refers to humans' move from sentience to sapience. Human awareness of time passing, resulting in an awareness of death, has its survival advantages but it also has its costs.

We have more to fear because we perceive unfolding events up ahead rather than responding to each event as it comes. We worry about the sexual impact of our nakedness on others rather than just letting it all flow. We lose that perpetual flow state, no longer living in the present like other animals, but instead we are burdened with our past mistakes and future concerns.

Thus, we were cast out of Eden, never to return (in the mythology, Eden is guarded by cherubim - which are not cute, plump archers but an angelic being, huge and formidable, with the face of a lion, an ox, a human, and an eagle).

I feel the lesson from this myth is understanding. We are all in the same boat. We are flawed, and life is not easy. We can stand in judgement of everything, or we can try to appreciate the dynamics that lead humans to do problematic things.

"Sentience to sapience" sums up the message of the Garden of Eden myth. Human knowledge of death , past, and future is feelingly described by Robert Burns in his poem "To a Mouse". I too feel the lesson from the Eden myth is understanding, exactly as you describe . Your "never to return" with your explanation of what cherubim actually were ----to the author of the myth----- is especially sad . Sapience gives us freedom that mice lack, and sapience also gives us responsibility, would you not agree. Would you like to comment on the nature and extent of this responsibility in today's troubled world especially as regards personal political stances?

https://www.rcsdk12.org/cms/lib/NY01001 ... lation.pdf

Sapience gives the ability to thrive, and with that occurs the necessity for social agreements as humans tend to thrive with the expense of others. With such social agreements will only come the sense of responsibility, and yet the laws are necessary to ensure that the humans respect and are bound by those responsibilities.

[Sushan]

Darn Scots, why don't they speak English? I had a Scottish friend for many year and I swear I only understood 70% of that thick Scottish brogue. Maybe. Great guy but it was exhausting having to concentrate as he spoke.

I don't think sapience necessarily beings responsibility. I've seen no evidence of such responsibility, based on history. What I've seen are highly effective players in a fiercely competitive game of life, where each sentient/sapient animal can only survive by killing or exploiting other life forms. The dog-eat-dog system seemed more reasonable before the evolution of brains.

A zero sum world combined with advanced brains that hope for morality and justice is a rather cruel configuration, but that's the situation ... at this stage.

I agree. Humans were animals (and still harbour many primal qualities) before being socialised, and still require laws and punishments to keep under some sort of order. Religions and religious teachings were originated to support the law and order because some aspects were easy to control by fear of the afterlife rather than the fear of mundane punishments. Ultimately some developed sense of responsibility, while some expects justice and morality, while the rest do not care at all.