1 / 13

The Great Chain of Being: scala natur ӕ

The Great Chain of Being: scala natur ӕ. A classical and western medieval conception of the order of the universe, whose chief characteristic is a strict hierarchical system

manju
Download Presentation

The Great Chain of Being: scala natur ӕ

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Great Chain of Being:scalanaturӕ

  2. A classical and western medieval conception of the order of the universe, whose chief characteristic is a strict hierarchical system • Composed of a great number of hierarchical links from the most basic and foundational, to the very highest perfection (God).

  3. Earthly flesh is fallible and ever-changing: mutable • Spirit is unchanging, permanent • Earth (rock) is at the bottom • Each element possess only the attribute of existence. • Each link contains the positive attribute of the previous link, and adds (at least) one other.

  4. The purpose of the great chain of being was to assign a place for everything in the universe, Holy Animal Vegetable mineral

  5. One does not abandon one’s place in the chain; it is not only unthinkable, but generally impossible. • Man is a special instance in this conception. He is both mortal flesh as those below him, but also spirit (he can die and become a spirit) • Christian fall of Lucifer is especially terrible because that angel is wholly spirit, who defies God, the ultimate perfection.

  6. Animals Wild Beasts Horses/dogs (useful domestic) Sheep (docile creatures) Snakes (snakes are at the bottom because of their actions in the Garden of Eden) Below animals, come plants (further division) Below plants, come minerals

  7. Example: If one were to examine only the earthly inhabitants, and their place in the chain, this is what would be found: Perfection (God) Angels Humans Beasts Plants Fish rocks

  8. Each link in the chain might be further divided into its component parts. In medieval secular society, for example: King Aristocratic Lords Peasants

  9. The family Father Mother Male children Female children The modern western culture maintains some of these divisions

  10. “The courtier disdaineth the citizen; The citizen the countryman; The shoemaker the cobbler. But unfortunate is the man who does not have Anyone he can look down upon.” Tomas Nash (1593)

  11. GodAngelsKings/QueensArchbishopsDukes/DuchessesBishopsMarquises/MarchionessesEarls/CountessesViscounts/ViscountessesBarons/BaronessesAbbots/DeaconsKnights/Local OfficialsLadies-in-WaitingPriests/MonksSquires

  12. PagesMessengersMerchants/ShopkeepersTradesmenYeomen FarmersSoldiers/Town WatchHousehold ServantsTennant FarmersShephards/HerdersBeggars

  13. ActorsThieves/PiratesGypsiesAnimalsBirdsWorms • PlantsRocks

More Related