Short answer- Last time I checked we had one heck of a lot artifacts. Do you have a cite proving that our knowledge of their cultures is based "largely on the writings of urban intelligentsia?
And how about responding to my other posts?
Now, if you’ll excuse me I must walk to the mini mart for eggnog and chocolate before it rains
Sorry, I failed to address that. I am having a bad day. During a call- I played the wrong recording, then I played the correct recording- twice in a row, then I forgot to hang up on the recording line and didn’t realize it til the voice menu started playing. Then, I did a bunch of things in the wrong order. I hope management does not pick that particular call for a quality control score.
Many people have their personal ick factor drive what they mistakenly call their “morality”.
And that’s the sort of wicked perversion of reality that’s destroying what could be a civilized country if we bothered to try. Or better yet had an entrance exam.
Christian bigots. That’s what people in the Anglosphere virtually always mean when they say “traditional morals”. Not non-Christians, and not non-bigoted Christians, but specifically bigoted Christians. We saw a ton of that rhetoric here during the debate over same sex marriage.
Sort of? But for an example: I and most other modern first-worlders would consider it icky to stick my hand into a big bucket full of maggots. However, I wouldn’t consider it at all immoral for a person to do so, nor do I think most other folks would. So clearly, it’s possible for people to think something is icky without considering it immoral.
I think that the difference is that very few people, almost none, actually have the urge to stick their hands in buckets of maggots. But a lot of people do have the urge to have gay sex. I think that most modern homophobia (and transphobia) comes from those closeted folks.
Another example: i find sticking a needle in someone to be very icky. And yet, i consent to let doctors draw my blood and even {shudder} insert IV lines in certain circumstances, and also paid people to give my kids vaccines. Incredibly icky and sqeamish-making, IMHO, but not immoral.
Aren’t you thrilled that you have a brain and aren’t driven purely by the nature of primitive man and can understand modern concerns and control your reactions based on something other than getting stalked by a saber tooth tiger.
I agree. I almost said something about it, and glad you did.
I agree. Having sex with men is icky. Only a pervert would want to. All you women out there, you need to stop having icky sex with men. Don’t be a pervert!
Traditional moral judgement is a sociological phenomenon. It’s right there in the word “traditional”. And the word “moral”.
Yes. They are the only ones whose opinion matters. Everyone else is out of the mainstream. STOP GETTING YOUR LIBERALISM IN MY FACE!
It’s liberal ivory tower elites all the way down!!!
Is your speculation that there is an ignored voice of the “common man” Greek or Roman, and that voice probably aligns with your ideas of a natural morality based on any knowledge of the study of ancient history? What can you tell us about existing sources for our understanding of ancient cultures?