¶ … Wang Chong and Lucretius on their beliefs of afterlife. We will also discuss how their beliefs were shaped by other philosophers of their time. Finally, we will conclude by providing an analysis of the subject matter.
Rome and Lucretius
The success of the Roman Empire is often attributed to the auspicious religious beliefs that permeated that society. A book entitled, The World of Rome, describes the thoughts of the historian Polybius who asserted that The quality in which the Roman commonwealth is most distinctly superior is in my opinion the nature of their religious convictions. I believe that what maintains the cohesion of the Roman state is the very thing which among other peoples is an object of reproach: I mean superstition... It is a course which perhaps would not have been necessary had it been possible to form a state composed of wise men, but since every multitude is fickle, full of lawless desires, unreasoned passion, and violent anger, the multitude must be held in by invisible terrors and suchlike pageantry. For this reason I think, not that the ancients acted rashly and at haphazard in introducing among the people notions concerning the gods and beliefs in the terrors of hell, but that the moderns are most rash and foolish in banishing such beliefs." (Grant 1960)
Lucretius was an influential figure in Rome but he was not an advocate of religion.
This attitude was somewhat undesirable in the Roman Empire that various religious beliefs. Lucretius believed that religion created all sorts of evil and misery. (Sloan 2001) The philosopher asserted that people simply used religion to escape reality -- he believed that religion was a method of avoidance. (Sloan 2001) He encouraged thought and believed that people should observe the world with a tranquil mind. (Sloan 2001)
He also believed that religion caused men o become confused and frustrated. He is often referred to as an atheist; however this description is somewhat inaccurate. (Sloan 2001) He did believe in gods but he did not believe that they managed events, created the universe or answered the prayers of men. (Sloan) Lucretius, who was a pupil of Epicurus, did not believe in the concept of the after life. Sloan (2001) explains Lucretius views on the fallacies of the afterlife,
Assuredly whatsoever things are fabled to exist in deep Acheron [Hades], these all exist in this life. There is no wretched Tantalus, fearing the great rock that hangs over him in the air and frozen with vain terror. Rather, it is in this life that fear of the gods oppresses mortals without cause, and the rock they fear is any that chance may bring... When people think of themselves dead, they instinctively imagine that they retain bodily sensations: "They do not see that in real death there will be no other self that lives to bewail the perished self or stands by to feel pain that they lie there lacerated, burning, or mauled by wild beasts." They fancy they will miss life's pleasures, forgetting that "no longer will any desires possess them." (Sloan 2001)
Grant (1960) asserts that although many Romans held religious convictions there was a contingent that sought philosophical guidance concerning life and purpose. Grant (1960) explains that those that were philosophically minded were minimal because philosophical inclination required a degree of self-control and self-cultivation that was beyond the reach of most men. Grant (1960) also explains that Philosophy also relied entirely on the didactic means of precept and example; its gatherings did not possess the comforting common life of the religions; its beliefs were not enshrined in sensational myths and glamorous cults; and it offered no promises for the afterlife -- indeed, no rewards at all except consciousness of right." (Grant 1960)
Indeed the Roman Age did not contribute greatly to the philosophies that had already been set forth in c. 300 BC by Aristotle and Plato. However, Lucretius was passionate about the doctrines of Epicurus and taught them with vigor. The doctrines were opposed to many of the pagan religious beliefs that were being practiced at the time. Epicurus also asserted that the only basis of knowledge was sense perception. (Grant 1960)
China and Wang Chong
Wang Chong was a Han skeptic that had some of the same beliefs as Lucretius. A book entitled, Fortune-Tellers and Philosophers: Divination in Traditional Chinese Society, explains that Chong did not believe that humans could influence or communicate with heaven. Neither did he believe in the concept of cosmic resonance nor would that heaven reward good and evil. Instead he proposed that fate was the determinant of rewards. He explains,
Man's] nature and destiny are distinct from one another, for there are persons whose natures are good and yet who meet an unlucky fate, whereas there are others whose...
belief systems of Christians and Muslim, particularly in how they view angels. Both religions believe angels exist, and that they are an important part of their religious beliefs. They both believe angels can guide and support people here on Earth, and they are messengers of God or Allah. They also believe they can be vengeful and destructive, and angels play an important role in the stories of the Qur'an
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now