#classical philosophy

The "Pergamon table": a kind of magical instrument. In each of the triangle's corners is a depiction of a goddess, labelled above with an epithet ('Διώνη', 'Φοίβη', and 'Νυχίη') and below with a participle 'ἀμ(ε)ίβουσα'. Based on these labels, the figures' attire (χιτών and girdle,) and the accessories they carry (key, torches, whip, serpent, and sword), the goddesses have been identified with the three aspects of triple Hekate.

Plato on a video reel: Let me tell you the nature of man. Man is a-.

[Stitch incoming….]

Diogenes: Let me show you Plato’s man!

The storyline of Star Wars follows the progression of the Seven Classical Planets...

[NB: Throughout I use Star Wars to refer exclusively to what was later subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope.]

Here's how it plays out:

Before the movie even starts, the opening crawl tells us that The Moon (Princess Leia) is on a dangerous mission to reveal the secret (deliver the plans) of Darkness (the Death Star, a planet-killing space station that happens to be the size of a “small moon”).

The movie begins mid-action as The Moon (Princess), about to be captured by the Evil Empire, dispatches a distress call through her trusted agent Mercury (R2-D2), who escapes with his companion Venus (C-3PO) to a desert planet where they accidentally encounter The "New" Sun (Luke Skywalker) while searching for The "Old" Sun (Obi-Wan Kenobi), who makes contact with Mars (Chewbacca) in order to hire Jupiter (Han Solo) to pilot them on their quest to defeat Saturn (Darth Vader).

That's Star Wars in a nutshell, innit ?

Here's a character-by-character breakdown:

Princess Leia is The Moon, the wise and luminous one. Dressed in flowing white gowns that evoke moonbeams, her holographic projection further magnifies her iridescence. The Moon (Princess) is taken prisoner (the damsel in distress, New Moon, swallowed by Darkness) on the moon-sized battle station, until she's rescued and emerges as a leader of a coordinated counterattack (the warrior princess, Full Moon, overcoming Darkness).

2. R2-D2 is Mercury, the traveler and communicator. His slow-rolling chrome chassis evokes Mercury's light metallic surface and slight orbit, while his multi-coloured lights mirror the planet's unique prismatic shimmer. Mercury (Artoo) is closest to the The Moon (Princess), Venus (Threepio), and The Sun (Kenobi/Skywalker), and his mission to find The “Old” Sun (Obi-Wan Kenobi) sets in motion the entire chain of events that brings the heroes into alignment on their odyssey. On top of that, Artoo is an astromech droid that's purpose-built for servicing spacecraft, so he's specifically designed to travel.

C-3PO is Venus, the compassionate one, whose gold-plated figure evokes the copper glow of Venus. Although he's a mechanical being, he expresses great emotion (more than any of the humanoid characters) including affection and persistent concern for his counterpart Artoo, the Princess, and his new master Luke.

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker are The Twin Suns: Because the fictional / mythical Tatooine has two suns, it's appropriate that the story include two Suns as twin heroes. (And of course the planet of the Twin Suns is a desert world.) • 4a. Obi-Wan Kenobi is The "Old" Sun, the aging master (Jedi Knight) near the end of his journey, hiding in the wilderness in order to watch over and protect The “New” Sun (Skywalker). The “Old” Sun (Kenobi) once had a master-apprentice relationship with his fallen pupil Saturn (Vader), which he later exploits in order to save the other heroes. He carries and preserves the ancient mystical teachings (the Jedi code), and develops a master-apprentice relationship with The “New” Sun (Skywalker) to whom he passes on that knowledge. • 4b. Luke Skywalker is The "New" Sun, the young novice (Jedi-in-waiting) at the beginning of his journey. He enters a master-apprentice relationship with the wise old hermit The “Old” Sun (Kenobi). He harbours a deep grudge after learning that Saturn (Vader) killed his father — which deepens when the Evil Empire murders his family, and further still when he witnesses Saturn (Vader) slay The “Old” Sun (Kenobi) before his very eyes. The “New” Sun (Skywalker) hatches the plan to rescue The Moon (Princess) from Darkness (the Death Star), and in the end he overcomes Saturn (Vader) with a little help from his friends Jupter (Solo) and Mars (Chewbacca), making the magic shot that defeats the bad guys and saves the day for the good guys.

Chewbacca is Mars, the warrior. I think this is self-explanatory. He's loyal, ferocious, courageous, and a skilled marksman — and his species (Wookie) is a renowned warrior race. Plus his brown fur could be likened to the rusty hue of the Martian surface.

Han Solo is Jupiter, the chief. He's bold, brave, outspoken, and exudes a godlike arrogance in his own self-determination — although in the end he abandons self-interest to serve a greater cause. Solo captains the vessel (the Millennium Falcon) that carries the heroes on their journey, and is called upon to provide them safe passage. He proves skilled at evading trouble, and when the heroes are eventually captured by Darkness (the Death Star) he boldly charges to their defence and aids in their escape. Although he feigns wanting to stay out of their fight, in the end he shows his true colours by returning to lend The “New” Sun (Luke) a helping hand against Saturn (Vader).

Darth Vader is Saturn, the ultimate villain. He is the fallen mater (Jedi Knight) who uses his mystical power for evil (the Dark Side). His pursuit of The Moon (Princess) kicks off the story before the beginning, and his crusade to destroy the good guys (Rebel Alliance) brings him into direct conflict with first The “Old” Sun (Kenobi) and then The “New” Sun (Skywalker).

More to say, have I, about the cosmological movements of the unfolding story, but I'll leave it here for the moment.

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Rilke’s First Duino Elegy is a deeply philosophical and existential work that reflects his broader themes of transcendence, beauty, suffering, and the limitations of human perception. It is enriched by concepts from classical studies, particularly in its allusions to Greek mythology, classical heroism, and Platonic ideas about the nature of reality and longing.

Context of Rainer Maria Rilke Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) was an Austrian poet whose work often explores the tension between the material and the spiritual, the transient and the eternal. His Duino Elegies, written between 1912 and 1922, reflect his preoccupation with metaphysical longing, artistic creation, and the terror inherent in beauty. These elegies were influenced by his experiences in Duino Castle, as well as his readings in philosophy, art, and mysticism. Rilke’s writing often places human existence in contrast to the divine or the infinite, emphasizing a feeling of estrangement and the necessity of transformation through suffering and embracing it as much as the nurturing solitude offered by life to us, which he expresses as being not just beneficial but necessary. He deeply valued solitude, seeing it as essential for personal and artistic growth. He believed that solitude was not loneliness but a necessary state for self-discovery, inner strength, and creativity. Rilke viewed solitude as a way to confront one’s deepest thoughts and emotions, fostering a deeper understanding of oneself and the world. In Letters to a Young Poet, he advised embracing solitude rather than fearing it, arguing that it allows individuals to develop independence, patience, and emotional depth. He saw solitude as a space where one's soul could mature, free from external distractions and societal pressures. According to Rilke, true love and relationships could only flourish when individuals had first cultivated their own inner world, making solitude a foundation for authentic connections. For Rilke, solitude was not an escape but a path to wisdom, self-sufficiency, and a richer, more meaningful life. He believed that in solitude, one could listen to the whispers of the soul, unlocking creativity and personal transformation.

Use of Classical Concepts with in The First Elegy

Angels as Platonic Forms or Divine Messengers The poem opens with a desperate cry (which, to me, was reminiscent of the opening lines of Homer's Iliad): “Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the Angels’ Orders?”

Rilke’s angels are not comforting figures but rather terrifying beings whose essence is too overwhelming for humans to bear. This aligns with classical and Neoplatonic views of divine beings as existing on a higher plane of reality, beyond human comprehension.

The idea that “Every Angel is terrifying” evokes the Greek concept of daimons—spiritual intermediaries between gods and humans in Platonic thought, which could be either enlightening or overwhelming.

Beauty and Terror—The Sublime in Classical Aesthetics “For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we can still barely endure.”

This reflects a classical and Romantic notion of the sublime, where beauty is intertwined with awe and fear. The Greeks associated beauty (kalon) with both harmony and a kind of divine mystery that could lead to madness, as seen in the myths of Phaedra or Pentheus.

Alienation and the Stoic Worldview “Not Angels, not humans, and the sly animals see at once how little at home we are in the interpreted world.”

This echoes the Stoic perspective on human beings as estranged from a rational universe, struggling to interpret existence in meaningful terms. The idea of the interpreted world suggests an awareness that human perception is limited and filtered through subjective understanding.

Classical Lament and Mythology

The poem references the myth of Linos, a legendary musician mourned in ancient Greek laments. “Is it a tale told in vain, that myth of lament for Linos, in which a daring first music pierced the shell of numbness?”

The death of Linos, often seen as a foundational moment in the development of song and poetry, reflects Rilke’s belief in suffering as the origin of artistic creation. This aligns with the classical idea that poetry arises from grief, as seen in Orpheus’s lament for Eurydice.

Heroism and Fate “Remember: the hero lives on, even his downfall was only a pretext for attained existence.”

This recalls the Homeric and tragic Greek conception of heroism, where the hero’s suffering and death are not simply personal losses but transformative moments that give meaning to existence. Rilke’s hero transcends mere mortality by achieving a state of eternal significance, much like Achilles or Heracles.

Transformation and the Arrow as a Metaphor “The way the arrow, suddenly all vector, survives the string to be more than itself.”

This is reminiscent of Aristotelian and Platonic ideas of potentiality and actualization. The arrow is a symbol of release from earthly attachments, reflecting the classical idea that true existence lies beyond the constraints of the material world.

In Conclusion

"You could die right now. Let this fact guide the rest of your life."