Homer and Philosophy

In this podcast, Harvard Professor Sean Kelly speaks with a radio show about the philosophy which can be seen in the Homeric epics. First Kelly speaks about the reason why people read Homer. He says how people used to read it to show how Homer's depiction of humans and their nature is wrong. Kelly states however, that Homer's epics may reveal much more about the philosophy of humans than it first appears. He explains how the characters seem to be very robotic and do not reflect on feeling to make decisions or guide their lives. We talked about this in our unit on The Odyssey when we saw how many people of the time, especially Odysseus let "the gods" dictate their lives for them. He goes on to explain how this type of decision making, the more laid back approach may be better for living a happy life because dwelling on every little decision makes a heavy burden. So what many readers first mistook as a careless approach to life, may have been Homer's example of a happy life. This is portrayed by the idea of the donkey between two bails of hay. Over-thinking can lead to ruin in this abstraction. Also, the other end of the spectrum is looked at and Kelly says that one should be cautious when letting decisions be made for them if a mob mentality is taking over one's ability to think.
In this interview, Kelly did a very good job of introducing both sides of the thought spectrum on this topic. After living 16 years and a few months I have decided that in my life, Homer seems to be right. When you have something to believe in such as religion, friends, or family which you can rely on to help you make decisions, life seems much easier and more enjoyable. Bad decisions can teach you to ask for advice and this also spreads out guilt. It is the simple mentality that going through hard times is much more easier with someone by your side.