ANCIENT GREEK FEMALE NAMES (GREEK COMMUNITYr

   

MONS AVENTINUS - THE AVENTINE HILL
(LIBERTY)
ANCIENT GREEK FEMALE NAMES (GREEK COMMUNITY)

ADONI (Greek: ¨Αδωνς): Feminine form of Greek Adonis, meaning "he who fights dragons."

ADRASTEIA (Greek: Αδράστεια): Feminine form of Greek Adrastos, meaning "he who stands his ground," in other words "courageous."

AELLA (Greek: Αελλα): "Whirlwind." Greek myth name of an Amazon warrior who was killed by Herakles. She was known for wielding a double-axe.

AGAPE (Greek: Αγάπη): Greek name meaning "love."

AGATHANGELOS (Greek: Αγαθάγγελος): "Good angel." Ancient Greek name composed of the elements agathos "good" and angelos "angel."

AGATHE (Greek: Αγαθη): Original Greek form of English Agatha, derived from the Greek word agathos, meaning "good."

AGAUE (Greek: Αγαθε): "Illustrious; noble." Greek myth name of one of the four daughters of Kadmos, king of Theben in Boiotia, and his wife Harmonia. The name derives from agauos "noble," itself possibly from agasthai "to wonder at," from gaiein "to rejoice," with the intensive prefix a-.

AGLAIA (Greek: Αγλαια): Greek myth name of one of the three Graces, meaning "beauty, splendor." The other two are Thalia, "blossoming, luxuriant," and Euphrosyne, "joy, merriment."

AGLEA (Greek: Αγλεα): Variant of Greek Aglaia, meaning "beauty, splendor."

AIGLE (Greek: Αιγλε): Greek form of Latin Aegle, meaning "light, radiance."

AIKATERINA (Greek: Αικατερινα): Variant of Greek Aikaterine, meaning "pure."

AIKATERINE (Aikaterinē) (Greek: Αικατερινη): Greek name from which we got the name Katherine. The name is of unknown etymology, but the earliest sources that mention the name are in Greek and associate it with the Greek adjective katharos, meaning "pure." The suggestion that it may have been derived from Hekate, the pagan goddess of sorcery, is not convincing.

AIRLA (Greek: Αιρλα): Variant of Greek Airlea, meaning "ethereal."

AIRLEA (Greek: Αιρλεα): Greek name meaning "ethereal."

AIRLIA (Greek: Αιρλια): Variant of Greek Airlea, meaning "ethereal."

AKANTHA (Greek: Άκανθα): Greek myth name of a nymph loved by Apollo, meaning "thorn."

ALALA (Greek: Αλαλα): Greek myth name of the personification of the "war cry."

ALCESTIS (Greek: 'Αλκηστις): Greek myth name of a princess who was rescued by Hercules when she descended into Hades in place of her husband, meaning "might of the home."

ALCMENE (Greek: Αλκμήνη): Greek myth name of the mortal mother of Hercules by Zeus, meaning "might of the moon."

ALEKTO (Greek: Αλεκτο): Original Greek form of Latin Alecto, meaning "unceasing."

ALEXA (Greek: Αλέξα): Feminine form of Greek Alexius, meaning "defender."

ALEXIA (Greek: Αλεξία): Feminine form of Greek Alexius, meaning "defender."

ALEXINA (Greek: Αλεχινα): Pet form of Greek Alexia, meaning "defender."

ALEXIS (Greek: Αλεξις): Feminine form of Greek Alexius, meaning "defender."

ALEXUS (Greek: Αλεξ): Variant of Greek Alexis, meaning "defender."

ALKIPPE (Greek: Αλκιππε): Original Greek form of Latin Alcippe, meaning "mighty mare."

ALKYONE (Greek: Αλκυόνη): Original Greek form of Latin Alcyone, meaning "kingfisher."

ALTHAIA (Greek: Αλθαία): Original Greek form of Latin Althea, possibly meaning "healing."

AMALTHEIA (Greek: Αμάλθεια): Original Greek form of Latin Amalthea, meaning "to soothe."

AMARANTOS/AMARATHA (Greek: Αμαραντος/Αμαραντη): Old Greek flower name derived from the name of the amaranth flower, amarantos, meaning "unfading."

AMARA (Greek: Αμαρα): Short version of the name Amarantham meaning "eternally beautiful" or "one who will be forever beautiful".

AMBROSIA (Greek: Αμβροσια): Feminine form of Greek Ambrosios, meaning "immortal."

AMINTA (Greek: Αμιντα): Variant of Greek Amynta, meaning "defender."

AMINTAH (Greek: Αμιντα): Variant of Greek Amynta, meaning "defender."

AMYNTA (Greek: Αμυντα): Feminine form of Greek Amyntas, meaning "defender."

ANAITIS (Greek: Αναιτισ): Greek form of Persian Anahita, meaning "immaculate."

ANDROMACHE (Greek: Ανδρομαχη): "Man/warrior battle." Greek myth name of the kidnapped wife of Hector, derived from the elements andros "of a man/warrior" and mache "battle."

ANDROMEDA (Greek: Ανδρομεδα): "Thinks like a man/warrior." Constellation name, and Greek myth name of the daughter of Cassiopeia who was to be sacrificed to the sea monster Cetus but was rescued by Perseus. Andromeda was said to be an Ethiopian princess. Ancient Ethiopians considered Perseus and Andromeda the progenitors of the black race. Derives from Greek andros "man/warrior" and medomai "to think."

ANEMONE (Greek: Ανεμώνη): Greek myth name of a nymph who was turned into a wind-flower, derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning "wind."

ANTHEIA (Greek: Ανθεια): "Flower." Greek myth name of a goddess of flowers, gardens, love, marshes, and swamps. She was worshiped on Crete.

ANTHOUSA (Greek: Ανθούσα): Greek name derived from the word anthos, meaning "flower."

ANTIGONE (Greek: Αντιγόνη): "Counter-generation." Greek myth name of the sister of Priam, daughter of Oedipus, derived from the elements anti "against; counter" and gone "birth; generation."

ANTIOPE: (Greek: Αντιόπη )Greek myth name of a daughter of Ares and Hippolyte (a queen of the Amazons) who was kidnapped and married by Theseus, making her the first Amazon ever to marry. The meaning of her name is debatable. The first half, Anti-, could have derived from anti "against; counter," or antios "set against." The second half, -ope, could have derived from ope "hole," ops "voice," or opsis "face."

AOEDE: Variant of Greek Aoide, meaning "to sing."

AOIDE: Greek myth name of the one of the three original Muses before their number was increased to nine, meaning "to sing."

APHRODISIA:(Greek Aφροδυσία)  Feminine form of Greek Aphrodisios, meaning "risen from the foam."

APHRODITE:(Greek Αφροδίτη)  "Risen from the foam." Greek myth name of the goddess of love and mother of Eros, composed of the elements afros "foam" and dity "dive; rise."

APOLLONIA: (Greek Απολλώνια)  Feminine form of Greek Apollonios, possibly meaning "destroyer."

APPHIA: Greek biblical name mentioned in the New Testament, meaning "increasing."

APPOLONIA: Variant of Greek Apollonia, possibly meaning "destroyer."

ARACHNE: Αράχνη reek myth name of a young girl who was turned into a spider by Athena, meaning "spider."

ARCADIA: Feminine form of Greek Arkadios, meaning "of Arcadia." The place name Arcadia was derived from the word arktos, meaning "bear."

ARETHOUSA: "The waterer." Greek myth name of one of the Hesperides, and a water nymph (Nereid), daughter of Nereus, who was pursued by Alpheus, the river god. Artemis changed her into a fountain.

ARIADNE: Greek myth name of the daughter of King Minos, meaning "utterly pure."

ARISTODEME: Greek myth name of a daughter of Priam, king of Troy, derived from the elements aristos "excellence" and demos "the people."

ARISTOMACHE: "Excellent battle." Greek name derived from the elements aristos "excellence" and mache "battle."

ARTEMIS: Greek myth name of a daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister to Apollo. The name is of uncertain origin. It may be related to the word artamos "a butcher" or artemes "safe."

ARTEMISIA: Feminine form of Greek Artemisios, a name derived from the name Artemis, meaning either "safe" or "butcher."

ASPASIA: Greek name derived from the word aspasios, meaning "welcome."

ASTARTE: Greek form of Phoenician Ashtoreth, myth name of a goddess of fertility and war, equivalent to the Semitic goddess Ishtar. Meaning is unknown.

ASTRAIA: Greek myth name of a goddess of justice, derived from the word aster, meaning "star."

ATALANTE: Greek myth name of the fleet-footed maiden who refused to marry any man who could not beat her in a foot-race.

ATHANASIA: Feminine form of Greek Athanasios, meaning "immortal."

ATHENA: Greek myth name of the goddess of wisdom. Plato fancifully derived her name from A-theo-noa, meaning "mind of God," but the true meaning is unknown.

ATHENAIS: Greek name derived from the name of the goddess Athena, the meaning of which is unknown.

ATROPOS: Greek myth name of one of the original three Fates, known as the "inevitable" or "inflexible."

BARBARA: "Foreign; strange." This popular Greek name found also in English, French, German, Polish, and many other languages, derives from Greek barbaros, a word once used to refer to the unintelligible chatter of foreigners which sounded like "bar-bar" to the Greeks.

BERENIKE: Original Greek form of Berenice. It is most likely a Macedonian form of Greek Pherenike, meaning "bringer of victory," which probably originated in the Egyptian royal house of Macedon.

CALISTO: Variant of Greek Callisto, meaning "most beautiful."

CALLIDORA: Greek name meaning "gift of beauty," from kallos "beauty" and doron "gift."

CALLIGENIA: Greek name meaning "beauty-born," from kallos "beauty" and genes "born."

CALLISTO: Greek myth name of the daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia. She may also have been a nymph. The name derives from the Greek word kalliste, meaning "most beautiful."

CELANDINE: Greek bird and flower name. It is the name of a yellow wildflower whose name derives from chelidon, meaning "a swallow bird."

CHARA: Greek name meaning "happiness."

CHLOE: "Green shoot." In Greek mythology, this is another name of the goddess Demeter. This name is also mentioned in the bible by Paul.

CHLORIS: Greek myth name of a goddess of vegetation, derived from the word chloros, meaning "green."

CHRYSANTHE: Feminine form of Greek Chrysanthos, meaning "golden flower." (ρυσάνθη

CHRYSEIS: Greek myth name of the daughter of Chryses, meaning "golden."

CYANEA: Greek name meaning either "sky blue" or "bluish green."

CYBELE: Myth name of a Phrygian goddess of fertility adopted by the Greeks and Romans. The true meaning of the name is uncertain; the traditional derivation is "she of the hair."

CYMONE: Feminine form of Greek Simon, meaning "hearkening."

DAMALI: Variant of Greek Damalis, meaning "calf."

DAMALIS: Greek name meaning "calf."

DAMARIS: Greek biblical name of a woman Paul converted to Christianity. Possibly a late Greek form of Damalis, meaning "calf."

DANAE (Danaë): Greek myth name of the mother of Perseus, meaning "parched."

DAPHNE: Greek myth name of a nymph who was turned into a laurel tree by her father so that she might escape Apollo's unwanted attentions, meaning "laurel."

DAREIA: Feminine form of Greek Dareios, meaning "possesses a lot; wealthy."

DELIA: Greek myth name borne by Artemis, referring to her place of birth, meaning "of Delos."

DELPHINIA: "Of Delphi." Greek myth name borne by Artemis, referring to Delphi, where she had a shrine.

DEMETER (Dêmêtêr): Greek myth name of a goddess of agriculture, derived from Doric Da-mater, meaning "mother earth."

DEMETRA: Variant of Greek Demeter, meaning "earth mother."

DESMA: Greek name meaning "pledge, vow."

DESPOINA: Variant of Greek Despoine, meaning "mistress."

DESPOINE (Despoinê): Greek myth name of a daughter of Poseidon and Demeter, meaning "mistress."

DIANTHA: "God-flower." From the flower name Dianthus, itself from Greek dios "god" and anthos "flower."

DIANTHE: Variant of Greek Diantha, meaning "God-flower."

DIONA: Variant of Greek Dione, meaning "the goddess."

DIONE: "The goddess." Greek myth name of the mother of Aphrodite. The name is a feminine form of Zeus.

DIONYSIA: Feminine form of Greek Dionysos, meaning "Zeus-Nysa."

DORCAS: Greek biblical form of Aramaic Tabitha, meaning "gazelle." See Acts 9:36 in the New Testament.

DORCIA: Variant of Greek Dorcas, meaning "gazelle."

DORIS: Greek myth name of a goddess of the sea, consort of Nereus and mother of the Nereids (sea nymphs). The name was derived from a Greek ethnic name meaning "Dorian woman."

DORKAS: Variant of Greek Dorcas, meaning "gazelle."

ECHO: "Echo; sound." Greek myth name of an Oread (mountain nymph) who loved her own voice. From the Greek word eche, meaning "sound."

EFIMIA: Modern Greek form of Eupheme, meaning "well-spoken."

EFROSYNI: Variant of Greek Euphrosyne, meaning "joy, mirth."

EFTHALIA: Variant of Greek Euthalia, meaning "blooming, flourishing."

EILEITHYIA: Greek myth name of a goddess of childbirth, derived from the word eilelythyia, meaning "the ready-comer."

EIRENE: Greek myth name of a goddess of peace, meaning "peace."

ELEFTHERIA: Feminine form of Greek Eleftherios, meaning "the liberator."

ELEKTRA: "Bright, shining." Greek myth name of a Pleiad, an Oceanid, and the sister of Orestes who helped him kill their mother Clytemnestra.

ELENE: Modern Greek form of Helen, meaning "torch" or "moon" or more likely "to elope."

ELENI: Variant of Greek Elene, meaning "torch" or "moon" or more likely "to elope."

ELISAVET: Greek form of Elisabeth, meaning "God is my oath."

ELISSA: Greek myth name of a queen who fell in love with Aeneas, and set herself on fire when he left her. She is also known by the Phoenician name Dido, meaning "wanderer."

ELPIDA: Feminine form of Greek Elpidios, meaning "hope."

ELPIS: Ancient Greek name meaning "hope."

ENYO: "Horror." Greek counterpart of Roman Bellona, myth name of a goddess of war known as the "waster of cities" and depicted as being covered in blood and carrying weapons. She was a companion of Ares and is sometimes said to be his sister or mother.

EOS: Greek myth name of the goddess of dawn, meaning "dawn."

ERATO: Greek myth name of the muse of poetry, derived from the Greek word arastos, meaning "lovely."

ÉRIKA: Feminine form of Greek Erríkos, meaning "work-power."

ERIS: Greek myth name of the personification of "strife." She is the sister of Ares. Her Roman name is Discordia.

EUADNE: "Good and holy." Greek myth name of the wife of Capaneus who burned herself alive on her husband's pyre. The name is composed of the elements eu "good, well" and adnos "holy."

EUDOKIA: "To seem well." Greek name derived from the elements ευ "good, well," and dokeo "to seem."

EUDORA: "Good gift." Modern Greek name composed of the elements eu "good" and doron "gift."

EUDOXIA: "Good glory." Ancient Greek name composed of the elements eu "good" and doxa "fame, glory."

EUGENEIA: Feminine form of Greek Eugenios, meaning "well born."

EUMELIA: Ancient Greek name derived from the Greek word eumeleia, meaning "melody."

EUNIKE: "Good victory." This is the original Greek form of Eunice, composed of the elements eu "good" and nike "victory."

EUPHEME: "Well-spoken." Greek myth name of a goddess of good omen, praise, and shouts of triumph, composed of the elements eu "good, well" and phemi "I speak."

EUPHROSYNE: Greek myth name of one of the three Graces, meaning "joy, mirth."

EUPRAXIA: "Good action/exercise/practice." Greek name composed of the elements eu "good," and praxis "action, exercise, practice."

EURYBIA: Greek myth name of the goddess of the seas, and wife of Krios, meaning "wide violent force."

EURYDIKE: "Wide justice." Greek myth name of several characters. The wives of Acrisius, Creon, Nestor, and Orpheus all bore this name. It is composed of the elements eurys "wide" and dike "justice."

EUTERPE: Greek myth name of one of the Muses fathered by Zeus. She is called the "giver of pleasure," and her name means "delight."

EUTHALIA: "Well-blooming/flourishing." Greek name composed of the element eu "good, well" and the Greek myth name Thalia "blooming, flourishing." Some species of butterflies bear this name, too.

EUTROPIA: Feminine form of Greek Eutropios, meaning "versatile."

EVDOKIA: Variant of Greek Eudokia, meaning "to seem well."

EVGENIA: Modern Greek form of Eugenia, meaning "well born."

FRONA: Nickname for Greek Sophronia, meaning "self-controlled."

GAIA: Greek myth name of the goddess of earth, wife of Uranus and mother of the Titans, meaning "earth."

GLYKERIA: Greek name derived from the element glykys, meaning "sweet."

GORGOPHONE: "Gorgon slayer." Greek myth name of a daughter of Perseus, composed of the name Gorgon and the element phonos "murderer, slayer."

HAGNE: Greek name meaning "chaste; pure," from hagnos "holy." This is the original Greek form of English Agnes.

HALKYONE: Variant of Greek Alkyone, meaning "kingfisher."

HARMONIA: Greek myth name of the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, meaning "concord, harmony."

HATHOR: Greek form of Egyptian Het-Heru, meaning "house of Horus."

HEBE (Hêbê): Greek myth name of a goddess of youth, derived from the word hebos, meaning "young."

HECUBA: Variant of Greek Hekabe, myth name of the mother of Cassandra and Polydorus by Priam, possibly meaning "far off."

HEKABE: Original form of Greek Hecuba which may be a variant of Latin Hecate, meaning "far off."

HEKATE: Original Greek form of Latin Hecate, meaning "far off."

HEKUBA: Variant of Greek Hecuba, possibly meaning "far off."

HELEN: Greek myth name of the most beautiful mortal woman ever to exist whose abduction by Paris caused the Trojan war. The name has been disputed for a long time. There have been attempts to link it with Greek helene "torch" or selene "moon." However, recently it has been compared by scholars to Vedic Saranyu, wife of Surya, who was abducted just as Helen of Greek mythology was; the name may therefore be from the Proto-Indo-European root *sel "to elope" and have been borrowed from the older Hindu myth of the abduction of the goddess of dawn.

HERA: Greek myth name of the wife of Zeus. Her name is not Greek or Indo-European, it is therefore believed that she may be a female deity of the Minoan pantheon or of some other unidentifiable pre-Greek people. Her Roman name Juno means "vital force."

HERMIA: Feminine form of Greek Hermes, meaning "of the earth."

HERMIONE: Greek myth name of the daughter of Menelaus and Helen, derived from the name of the Greek god Hermes, meaning "of the earth."

HERO: Greek myth name of the lover of Leander, meaning "hero."

HESTIA: Greek myth name of the goddess of the hearth, meaning "hearth, fireside."

HIPPOLYTE: Feminine form of Hippolytos, meaning "horse-freer." Greek myth name of the daughter of Ares.

HYPATIA: Feminine form of Greek Hypatos, meaning "most high, supreme."

IANTHA: Variant of Greek Ianthe, name meaning "violet flower."

IANTHE: Greek myth name of an ocean nymph, meaning "violet flower."

IANTHINA: Elaborated form of Greek Ianthe, meaning "violet flower."

IO: Greek myth name of a princess loved by Zeus. Also the name of a moon of Jupiter. Meaning unknown.

IOANNA: Feminine form of Greek Ioannes, meaning "God is gracious."

IOKASTE: Original Greek form of Latin Jocasta, possibly meaning "violet tinted (clouds)."

IOLA: Variant of Greek Iole, meaning "violet."

IOLANTA: Variant of Greek Iolanthe, meaning "violet flower." Name of an opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, based on the Danish play "King Rene's Daughter," by Henrik Hertz. The first performance took place in St. Petersburg in 1892.

IOLANTHE: Greek name, apparently coined by Gilbert and Sullivan for their play of the same name first produced in London on November 25, 1882. It is composed of the Greek elements iole "violet" and anthos "flower."

IOLE: Greek myth name of a woman loved by Herakles, meaning "violet."

IPHIGENIA: "Strong-born." Greek myth name of the daughter of King Agamemnon, composed of the elements iphios "strong" and genes "born."

IRIS: English name derived from the name of the "iris flower," itself from the name of the Greek rainbow goddess, meaning "rainbow."

ISIS: This name literally means "(female) of throne," which is usually translated "Queen of the throne." However, the Egyptian hieroglyph for her name means "(female) of flesh," in other words "mortal woman." Isis is a Greek corruption of her true name which is unknown because Egyptian hieroglyphs left out most of the vowels.

SMEME: Greek myth name of the daughter of Oedipus, derived from the element isme, meaning "knowledge."

KALLIOPE: Greek name meaning "beautiful voice," from kallos "beauty" and ops "voice."

KALLISTO: Greek myth name of a nymph loved by Zeus, derived from the word kallistos, meaning "most beautiful."

KALLISTRATE: "Beauty-army." Ancient Greek name composed of the elements kallos "beauty" and stratos "army."

KALYPSO: Original Greek form of Calypso, probably meaning "she that conceals," from the word kalypto, meaning "to cover/conceal."

KANDAKE: Greek form of Candace which has several possible origins.

KASSANDRA: Original Greek form of Latin Cassandra, meaning "she who entangles men."

KASSIOPEIA: Original Greek form of Latin Cassiopeia, meaning "she whose words excel."

KHRYSEIS: Greek myth name of a Trojan girl mentioned briefly in Homer's Iliad, derived from khrysos, meaning "gold."

KHTHONIA: Greek myth name, meaning "of the earth/underworld." It is another epithet of Hekate or Persephone. KIRKE: Original Greek form of Latin Circe, meaning "bird."

KLEIO: Greek myth name of a muse of poetry and history, derived from the word kleos, meaning "glory."

KLEOPATRA: "Glory of the father." Greek form of Latin Cleopatra, derived from the elements kleos "glory" and patēer "father."

KLOTHO: "Spinner." Greek form of Latin Clotho, myth name of one of the three Fates (Moirae).

KLYMENE: "Praiseworthy might." Greek form of Latin Clymene, name of several mythological characters including the Oceanid who was the mother of Atlas and Prometheus.

KLYTAIMNESTRA: Greek form of Latin Clytemnestra, a myth name derived from the elements klytos "famous, praiseworthy," and mnestria "wooing."

KLYTIE (Klytië): Greek form of Latin Clytia, myth name of a nymph who was buried alive in sand and transformed into a sunflower, derived from Greek klytos, meaning "famous."

KORE (Korë): Greek myth name borne by Persephone, a goddess of the underworld, meaning "maiden."

KORINNA: Greek name derived from Korë, meaning "maiden."

KYNTHIA: Greek form of Latin Cynthia, meaning "woman from Kynthos."

KYRIAKE: Variant of Greek Kyriaki, meaning "of the lord."

KYRIAKI: Feminine form of Greek Kyriakos, meaning "of the lord."

KYRILLOS: Greek name derived from kyrios, meaning "lord."

LACHESIS: Greek myth name of one of the three Fates, meaning "apportioner."

LEDA: Greek myth name of the mother of Castor, Pollux and Helen, meaning "woman."

LETO: Greek myth name of the mother of Apollo and Artemis, meaning "the hidden one."

LIGEIA: Greek myth name of one of the Sirens, derived from the word ligys, meaning "shrill whistling voice."

LYSISTRATE: "Liberation army." Ancient Greek name composed of the elements lysis "freeing, loosening, a release" and stratos "army, expedition, multitude."

MAEJA: Variant of Greek Maia, meaning "mother."

MAIA: Greek myth name of the eldest of the Pleiades and mother of Hermes by Zeus. The name is said to have originated from the babbling of an infant trying to say "mother," thus the name is usually translated "mother."

MARIAH: (Greek)Mariah is an English/Greek baby name. In English the meaning of the name Mariah is: Bitter

MARGARITES: Greek name derived from the word margaron, meaning "pearl."

MEDEIA: Original Greek form of Latin Medea, meaning "cunning."

MEDOUSA: Greek form of Latin Medusa, meaning "guardian."

MEGAIRA: Original Greek form of Latin Megaera, meaning "to grudge."

MELAINA: Greek name derived from the word, melaina, meaning "black, dark."

MELANTHA: Female Greek name meaning "dark flower."

MELETE: "Exercise, practice." Greek myth name of one of the three original Muses, before their number was increased to nine.

MELINA: Greek name derived from the word méli, meaning "honey."

MELISSA: Greek myth name of a nymph who cared for Zeus in his infancy, derived from the word melissa, meaning "honey-bee."

MELITA: Variant of Greek Melitta, meaning "honey-bee."

MELITTA: Old Greek form of Melissa, meaning "honey-bee."

MELPOMENE: Greek myth name of the muse of tragedy, meaning "choir."

MINTA: Variant of Greek Minthe, meaning "mint." Sometimes used as a nickname for Amynta, meaning "defender."

MINTHE: Greek myth name of a water nymph who was turned into a mint plant, meaning "mint."

MNEME: "Memory." Greek myth name of one of the three original Muses, daughters of Mnemosyne.

MNEMOSYNE: Greek myth name of the personification of "memory," a Titaness and daughter of Gaia and Uranus, and the mother of the three original Muses, Mneme, Aoide, and Melete.

MYRINE: Greek myth name of a warrior queen of the Gorgon Amazons, possibly meaning "swiftly bounding."

NARKISSA: Feminine form of Greek Narkissos, possibly meaning "numbness; sleep."

NATASA: Greek pet form of Latin Anastasia, meaning "resurrection."

NEMESIS: Greek myth name of the goddess of justice and vengeance, meaning "retribution; righteous anger."

NEPHELE: Greek myth name of a goddess of the clouds and mother of the centaurs, meaning "cloudy."

NEPHTHYS: Greek form of Egyptian Nebt-Het, meaning "lady of the house."

NIKE: Greek myth name of a goddess of victory, meaning "victory."

NIKEPHOROS: "Bearer of victory." Ancient Greek unisex name composed of the elements nike "victory" and phoreo "to bear/carry."

NIKOLETA: Feminine form of Greek Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people."

NYX: Greek myth name of a goddess of night, meaning "night."

OINONE: Original Greek form of Latin Oenone, meaning "wine."

OLYMPIA: Variant of Greek Olympias, the feminine form of Greek Olympos, "home of the gods," of which the true meaning is unknown.

OLYMPIAS: Ancient Greek name of the mother of Alexander the Great, meaning "from Olympus." It is the feminine form of Greek Olympos, "home of the gods," of which the true meaning is unknown.

OPHELIA: Feminine form of Greek Ophelos, meaning "help." This name was used by Shakespeare for an ill-omened character in Hamlet.

OURANIA: Greek myth name of a muse of astronomy, derived from the word ouranios, meaning "heavenly."

PALLAS: Greek unisex name derived from the element pallô, meaning "to brandish, to wield (a weapon)." It is the name of many characters in Greek mythology: a son of Evander; a giant son of Uranus and Gaia; a Titan son of Crius and Eurybia; the father of the 50 Pallantids; a daughter of Triton; and it is an epithet of Athena.

PANAGIOTA: Feminine form of Greek Panagiotis, meaning "all-holy."

PANDORA: "All-gift." Greek myth name of the first mortal woman whose curiosity unleashed evil into the world, composed of the elements pan "all" and doron "gift."

PARASKEVE: Greek name meaning "preparation."

PARTHENIA: "Virgin." In Greek mythology an unnamed river nymph is said to have been the mother of a Trojan hero who fought against the Greeks. She is known only by the title Naias Parthenia, meaning "Naias Nymphe of the River Parthenios (in Paphlagonia, Anatolia)." Parthenia and Parthenios were both derived from the Greek word parthenos, meaning "virgin."

PARTHENOPE: "Virgin voice." Greek myth name of one of the Sirens, composed of the elements parthenos "virgin" and ops "voice."

PENELOPE: Greek myth name of the patient wife of Odysseus who waited ten years for his return during which she refused several proposals of marriage by princes. The name is composed of the elements pene "needle" and lopas "spool," which is taken to mean "weaver of cunning," denoting someone whose motives are hard to decipher.

PERSEPHONE: "Person-slayer." Greek myth name of a daughter of Zeus and Demeter, probably composed of the elements perso "person; human being" and phonos "murderer, slayer."

PERSIS: Greek biblical name of a woman mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Romans, meaning "Persian woman."

PHAIDRA: Original Greek form of Latin Phaedra, meaning "bright."

PHANESSA: Feminine form of Orphic Phanes, a primeval, golden-winged hermaphroditic god, meaning "appear."

PHERENIKE: Original Greek form of Greek Berenike, the name from which English Berenice derived, meaning "bringer of victory."

PHILE: Feminine form of Greek Philon, meaning "to love."

PHILOMELA: Greek name composed of the elements philos "dear, sweet" and melos "song," usually rendered "sweet singer; nightingale."

PHILOMENA: Feminine form of Greek Philomenes, meaning "love-strong."

PHOIBE: Original Greek form of Latin Phoebe. This is the feminine form of Greek Phoibos, meaning "shining one."

PHOTINE: Greek name derived from the word phos, meaning "light."

PHYLLIDOS: Variant of Greek Phyllis, meaning "foliage."

PHYLLIS: Greek myth name of a girl who killed herself over love and was transformed into an almond tree, meaning "foliage."

PODARGE: "Fleet-foot." Greek unisex myth name of several characters: 1) one of the Harpies who was the mother of Balius and Xanthus; 2) it was another name that the rainbow goddess Iris was known by; and 3) it was Priam's birth name; he changed it after buying his life from Herakles.

POLYMNIA: Original Greek form of Latin Polyhymnia, myth name of the muse of dance and sacred songs, composed of the elements polys "much" and hymnos "hymn, song."

POLYXENE: "Very hospitable (esp. to foreigners/strangers)." Original Greek form of Latin Polyxena, myth name of a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, composed of the elements polys "much" and xenoi "hospitable (esp. to foreigners/strangers)."

PSYCHE: "Animating spirit, soul." Greek myth name of a maiden loved by Eros, derived from the Greek word psykhe, meaning "the soul, mind, spirit, breath, life."

PSYKHE: Original Greek form of Psyche, meaning "animating spirit, soul."

PTOLEMA: Feminine form of Greek Ptolemy, meaning "aggressive, warlike."

REAH: Variant of Greek Rhea, meaning "menstruation; birth-waters."

RHEA: Greek myth name of the wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus, meaning "menstruation; birth-waters."

RHODA: Greek biblical name of a servant in the house of Mary mother of John, meaning "rose."

ROXANE: Greek name of Persian origin, meaning "dawn." This was the name of Alexander the Great's wife.

SAPPHEIRE: Original Greek form of biblical Sapphira, derived from the word sappheiros, meaning "lapis lazuli; sapphire."

SAPPHO: Greek name, possibly derived from the word sappheiros, meaning "lapis lazuli; sapphire."

SARA: Greek, Latin and Scandinavian variant of Sarah, meaning "princess."

SELENE: Greek myth name of a moon goddess, meaning "moon."

SEMELE: Greek myth name of a lover of Zeus. It is the Phrygian form of Greek Khthonia, meaning "of the earth/underworld."

SOFIA: Variant of Greek Sophia, meaning "wisdom."

SOPHIA: Greek name meaning "wisdom."

SOPHRONIA: Feminine form of Greek Sophronios, meaning "self-controlled."

SOSTRATE: "Safe-army." Greek name composed of the elements sos "safe, sound" and stratos "army."

SOTIRIA: Feminine form of Greek Sotiris, meaning "salvation."

SOUSANNA: Greek form of Hebrew Shoshannah, meaning "lily."

SPYRIDOULA: Feminine form of Greek Spyridon, meaning "spirit."

STAMATIA: Feminine form of Greek Stamatios, meaning "stop."

SYNTYCHE: Greek biblical name of a woman mentioned by Paul in one of his epistles, meaning "common fate."

TANIS: Greek form of Phoenician Tanith, meaning "serpent lady."

TASOULA: Greek pet form of Latin Anastasia, meaning "resurrection."

TEODORA: Feminine form of Greek Theodoros, meaning "gift of God."

TERPSICHORE: Greek myth name of a muse of dance, meaning "enjoying the dance."

THAIS: Greek name, possibly meaning "bandage."

THALIA: Greek myth name of the muse of comedy and pastoral poetry. The name derives from the Greek word thallein, meaning "blooming, flourishing."

THECLA: Variant of Greek Thekla, meaning "glory of God."

THEKLA: Abbreviated form of Greek Theokleia, meaning "glory of God."

THEMIS: Greek myth name of a Titan who was the mother of the three original Fates by Zeus, meaning "law."

THEOKLEIA: "Glory of God." Greek name composed of the elements theos "god" and kleos "glory."

THEOPHANIA: Feminine form of Greek Theophanes, meaning "manifestation of God."

TIMO: Feminine form of Greek Timon, meaning "honor."

TISIPHONE: "Avenging murder." Greek myth name of one of the Erinyes, composed of the elements tisis "vengeance" and phone "murder." Virgil named two others: Megaera "grudging," and Alecto "unceasing."

TRYPHAINA: Greek name derived from the word tryphe, meaning "delicate, soft."

TRYPHOSA: Greek name derived from the word tryphe, meaning "delicate, soft."

VASILIKI: Feminine form of Greek Vasilis, meaning "king/queen."

XANTHE: Greek name derived from the word xanthos, meaning "yellow."

XANTHIA: Elaborated form of Greek Xanthe, meaning "yellow."

XANTHIPPE: Feminine form of Greek Xanthippos, meaning "yellow horse."

XENE: Feminine form of Greek Xenon, meaning "foreigner; stranger."

XENIA: "Hospitable (esp. to foreigners/strangers)." Ancient Greek name derived from the word Xenia, itself from xenos "stranger, foreigner." Zeus was sometimes referred to as Zeus Xenia because he was also a god of "travelers." For this reason the ancient Greeks considered it a religious obligation to be "hospitable" to travelers. In fact, the Trojan war began as a result of a violation of Xenia, for Paris had been a guest of Menelaus and violated Xenia by abducting his host's wife.

ZENAIS: Greek name, possibly meaning "of Zeus."

ZENOBIA: Old Greek name meaning "life of Zeus."

ZENOVIA: Variant of Greek Zenobia, meaning "life of Zeus."

ZEPHYRA: Feminine form of Greek Zephyr, meaning "west wind."

ZINOVIA: Variant of Greek Zenobia, meaning "life of Zeus."

ZOE: Greek name meaning "life."

ZONA: Greek name meaning "belt; girdle."

ZOSIME: Feminine form of Greek Zosimos, meaning "likely to survive; survivor.

WIS-LV-NLG

A Tentative Definition of Philosophy: Wisdom, Love, and Knowledge
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UNCATEGORIZEDACCEPTANCE, ANALYZATION,EUDAIMONIA, FINAL END, GOD,HUMAN, JUSTICE, KNOWLEDGE,KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, LOVE,MEANING, PHILOSOPHY, POETRY,PROSE, PURPOSE, RECOGNITION,RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY, SOPHIA,THOUGHT, TRUTH, VERITAS, VIRTUE,WISDOM6 COMMENTS

What is Philosophy? Previously I described it as the love of wisdom, and that is the famous, literal meaning. Philia, to love, and Sophia, Wisdom. PhiliaSophia, or properly conjugated Philosophy. Putting aside how we all need to study Etymology to get a better grasp of the concepts that dominate our reality, what does it mean to love wisdom?

It raises yet more questions, what does it mean ‘to love’, what does ‘wisdom’ mean? They are of course, the domain of Philosophy.

This is a deep rabbit hole, one I’m not prepared to go down with all my readers just yet. For now bear with me as we descend one vaguely noticeable foothold as a time.

One thing is sure though, this metaphorical rabbit hole is our source of light, it is that light through which all meaning is interpreted; To consider the lack of it would be impossible. Can anyone imagine a world devoid a meaning? Such a thing is impossible, like the existence of nothingness.

But anyways, I’m going to put forward a tentative definition of Wisdom.

Wisdom: The right use of knowledge toward attaining one’s Final End.

Naturally this entails a few things. I’ll skip the most basic premises, and skip to the immediate ones. Human beings have Final Ends, they have purposes. Human beings can know things. Knowledge can contribute to attaining one’s Final End. The right use of knowledge towards this final end constitutes wisdom.

Thus we can have wisdom without knowing what we are doing, without knowing our final end. But knowing our Final End, our purpose and objective, can contribute greatly towards the development of wisdom.

I use the word ‘can’ because knowledge does not necessarily bring us to our Final End, the absolute reference by which we define things as good and evil. My knowledge of cultural conflict, in the absence of knowledge of ethics, may lead me to do things that are contrary to my Final End.

Fortunately I study ethics that I may avoid such detriment, though I may not always succeed.

Second, I will propose a tentative definition of love.

Love: To accept something as it is, fully.

Acceptance is akin to recognition. I see a fire, I recognize it as hot, burning oxygen for fuel, and potentially transformative to adjacent material. This recognition in itself is not love of course; My senses cannot perceive the inner nature of a fire, everything that it is and how it operates. For that I require knowledge and the intellect. Only the combination of the two, sense recognition and intellectual understanding in its entirety can be considered love. What follows is a tentative definition of Knowledge.

Knowledge: To understand, in the sense of grasping the processes of a thing.

Thus, knowledge is a necessary constituent of Love. To Love requires to know, though to know is not necessarily to love. For we can turn our back on what we know for trifling reasons; we can be unsure of what we know, for rational reasons.

To Love is to know something fully, with certainty, to grasp its purpose and its processes and to accept the reality of it. It is to see a painting and see it all, its meaning and its material beauty together, and to recognize it as such.

It is for this reason that I may say that I seek to love all things, but that I do not necessarily love all things.

Philosophy is for me, tentatively, the love of ways that I may attain my final end.

Whether this definition is absolutely true is something I am not yet true of. I’ll only find out by going deeper down this rabbit hole in my search for meaning.

 

PHILOSOPHY ABOUT LOVE & WISDOM

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What in the World is Philosophy?

DEACON DOUGLAS MCMANAMAN

Philosophy is literally the "love of wisdom." But what does it mean to love, pursue, and possess wisdom?

What in the world is philosophy?  The word itself comes from the two Greek words: philia and sophia.  Philia is the Greek word for 'love' (a bond of friendship), while sophia is Greek for 'wisdom'.  Philosophy is literally the "love of wisdom".  But what does it mean to love, pursue, and possess wisdom?

To understand this better, consider that most of us know through experience that not everyone who is knowledgeable is wise.  Some people have a great deal of learning, but very little wisdom.  Clearly there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom.  What exactly is the difference between the two?

Let us begin with knowledge of the scientific kind, since most of us are more familiar with it; for even kids can possess it.  The word "science" comes from the Latin verb scire, which means "to know".  Thus, science has to do with possessing a certain kind of knowledge.  Now some people are under the impression that science is about knowing facts.  But science is much more than that; for everyone knows certain basic facts, such as "leaves are green", or "the sky is blue", or that "people get cancer", etc, but that does not make them scientists.  A person has science, however, when he knows the reason for the fact, such as why leaves are green, or the reason for cancer, etc.  Science is about reasoned facts.  In other words, one has science when one knows the cause of the fact.

Now that which manifests a desire to possess "science" is the act of questioning.  The very word 'question' comes from the Latin querere, which means to quest, to journey, or to search.  To question is to go out on a quest in search of something, namely the cause of a fact, or the reason for it.  That is why science is fundamentally a knowledge of things through their proper causes.

Wisdom is a kind of science, and so it too is a knowledge of things through causes.  But, more precisely, wisdom is a knowledge of the highest causes; it is the intellectual virtue by which a person judges (or sees things) in light of the highest or first causes.  That is why we sometimes find wisdom in older people, for they have had the years of experience to "see the larger picture", so to speak.  They have encountered many kinds of people throughout their lives, they have been deceived before, lied to, have been pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised by things they weren't aware of, they've made mistakes, have had time to reflect upon their mistakes and the mistakes of their friends, associates, and family, and they have come to learn how to distinguish the genuine friend from the false friend, they know something about what marriage really is as opposed to what they thought it was when they first married, they understand what love really is and what it is not, they understand that they knew very little when they thought they knew a lot, and so they know something about human limitations, which they didn't quite appreciate when they were younger, etc.  And so they understand something about human nature and human frailty, and they are able to give us advice about the kind of people we ought to be wary of, whom we can trust, what to expect in the future, etc.

Such people are wise as a result of experience, honest reflection, and the ability to reason.  Not everyone over 50, however, is wise because not everyone over 50 is honest, reflective, or rational.  Moreover, one has no need of a microscope in order to be wise; but one cannot do biology, for example, without a microscope.  And so philosophy, which is the love of wisdom, is not dependent upon technology — some of the most brilliant philosophers in history lived well before the invention of the first telescope, etc.  The reason is that philosophy is the pursuit of first or ultimate causes, and first causes cannot be investigated through the senses; they must be arrived at through reason alone.  Philosophy is the study of the ultimate nature of things; empiriological (or empiriometric) science, unlike philosophy, seeks the proximate causes of things, not their ultimate causes.

A few simple examples may help to clarify these points.  Consider the growth of living things.  The biologist would like to know why things grow, that is, the cause of growth.  Why do cells multiply?  How does cell division work?  When he understands the cause of cell division, he can be said to possess science.  But if he claims to know the cause of cell division, he must be able to demonstrate it.  He can only do so definitively through empirical means (i.e., some sort of experiment, or via the use of something that enhances the sense of sight, such as a microscope).

But sometimes people ask questions about causes of a different sort.  Cells that are not alive would not divide, and if they divide, they are alive.  So, what is it that makes the cell living in the first place?  That question bears upon a first cause.  Moreover, a cell is not living unless it first exists, and a thing need not be alive in order to exist (i.e., carbon atoms exist, but they are not alive).  Thus, what is the cause of a thing's very existence?  That question too bears upon a first or ultimate cause.  Now every part of the living cell is alive, which is why we are not going to find the cause of its life within some part of the cell.  One cannot say, for instance, that the cause of its life is the DNA, for the DNA is alive in so far as it is a part of the living cell.  One only has to ask what it is that causes the DNA to be living DNA?  If it is a part of the cell, the cause will be the same as the cause of the whole cell's life.  Furthermore, existence is not a part of the cell; for the whole cell exists.  The cause of the cell's existence is not going to be something that you will be able to see under a microscope.  In other words, first causes cannot be investigated via the senses.  And so we have no choice but to reason our way to first or ultimate causes.

Philosophical knowledge is the knowledge of things through their first causes.  Experimental science (investigative) is not a search for first causes, but rather proximate or secondary causes.  The cause of the blue in your eyes is a secondary cause, for you cannot have blue eyes unless you first have an eye which is alive, and you cannot have a living eye unless you as a whole are alive.  The first cause is that which accounts for your being alive, the secondary cause accounts for the blue in your eyes, or the brown in your hair, etc.  A few more examples may clarify this further.

Biology is the study of living organisms (botany, zoology, physiology, neurology, histology, etc.).  The question: "What is the cause of cancer?"  is a question that only a biologist can answer.  Philosophy, on the other hand, does not investigate plant life, or the physiology of an insect, etc.  Rather, philosophy would seek an answer to the question: "What does it mean to be a living thing as opposed to a non-living thing?"  The philosopher is not concerned with the nervous system of a rabbit or the DNA of a frog.  To study these is to study the secondary causes of a frog or rabbit.  Rather, philosophy would like to know what it means to be an animal, or what it means to be a species as opposed to an individual of a species, etc.  All the investigating in the world is not going to tell us what it means to be a species as opposed to an individual of the species.  One has to reason to the answer.

Philosophical knowledge is the knowledge of things through their first causes.

Similarly, the chemist studies the composition, properties and structure of substances (organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry).  And so the chemist wants to know how a metal reacts with a gas, or why iron rusts.  But the philosopher seeks to understand what it means to be a substance.  He asks: "What makes a substance to be what it is?"  Or, "What is the difference between substance and attribute?"  A chemist does not ask such questions.  He takes substance for granted, as a carpenter takes a hammer for granted; the carpenter (scientist) uses the hammer to build houses, but it is the tool maker (philosopher) who studies the hammer.

Physics studies matter and energy and their interactions.  The philosopher studies the ultimate constitution of matter, and so he will seek an answer to the question: "What is matter?"  and "What is time?"  "What is place?"  and "What is motion?"  Psychology studies human behaviour, but the philosophy of human nature studies what it means to be man: "Is there an essential difference between man and brute?"  The lawyer studies existing laws and how they apply in particular circumstances, but the philosophy of law studies the ultimate principles of law: "What does it mean to be a law?"  or, "Are there natural laws?"  Political philosophy asks: "Is anarchy reasonable or disordered?"  Moral philosophy asks: "What constitutes a just law?" and "What is justice?"  Moreover, the mathematician studies numbers and their relations, but the philosopher asks: "What is number?"  "What is quantity?"  "What is a relation?"  "Is mathematical infinity real?"  "What is infinity?"  Such questions cannot be answered using mathematics.

Science investigates specific modes of being in the physical universe, such as living being, chemical being, mobile being, human being, etc.  But metaphysics (the highest branch of philosophy) studies not specific modes of being such as living, chemical, or physical, but simply being insofar as it is being.  Metaphysics would like to know what it means to be and what the properties of being as being are.  And so philosophers ask: "Does non-being exist?"  "Why is there anything rather than nothing?"  and "Is a thing good to the degree that it has being?"  and "What is the cause of all being?"  Metaphysics will concern itself with the question of God's existence in so far as He can be known through the natural light of human reason.

Science investigates the various aspects of the material universe, but philosophy seeks to know the answer to the question: "What is science?", and "What does it mean to know?"  as well as "What does it mean to know scientifically?"  Epistemology is that branch of philosophy that seeks to understand how it is we come to know and what exactly is the content of consciousness.

And so, returning to our example of the wise person who understands something about human nature, virtue, love, marriage, relationships, things that matter as opposed to things that do not, etc., what he understands, to a certain degree at least, is the ultimate nature of either the human person, or marriage, or friendship, etc.  As a result of experience, reflection and reasoning, he knows something about the nature of love, for example, that it is more than a feeling, or something about the nature of happiness, that is has an essential connection to virtue, or something about the nature of genuine friendship, for example, that true friendship is founded not so much on utility or pleasure as on good character, and that people of bad character have no real friends and are incapable of being a friend, etc.

Wisdom (philosophy) begins on the level of ordinary experience and ascends upward by means of human reason in order to take in "the whole picture" from a bird's eye point of view, a point of view that is beyond the realm of ordinary experience.  Thus, in philosophy, sensation is at the service of reason.  Experimental science, on the other hand, begins on the level of ordinary experience and descends by means of empirical investigation in order to take in not so much the whole as the parts of the whole that are beyond the realm of ordinary experience.  Thus, in the investigative sciences, reason is at the service of sensation. 

Concluding Thoughts

What if a person were to deny that ultimate causes are really distinct from what is referred to above as proximate causes?  For example, what if someone were to assert that the only genuine knowledge we have is that which is, in the end, resolved in sensation (the investigative sciences) and that if a claim cannot be resolved or verified in sensation or experiment (the scientific method), it is not genuine knowledge.

Introduction to Philosophy
for Young People
by Deacon Douglas McManaman

One can say this, but to be consistent, the one who makes this assertion will have to demonstrate the truth of it through the scientific method, that is, he will have to resolve his conclusion in the realm of sensation.  But he will not be able to do so.  How does one show, through visible and tangible evidence, that the only valid knowledge we have is scientific knowledge?  The assertion is not a scientific conclusion at all, but an assumption. 

Moreover, science takes place on the basis of many principles that science itself cannot establish.  For example, science presupposes the intelligibility of things.  The world is meaningful and can be studied and known, yet science cannot explain why or account for its intelligibility.  Also, there is no science of particulars, only universals.  In other words, anatomy does not study this particular cadaver (which belonged to John Smith, who just died) in order to know this cadaver, but in order to know all cadavers of that species.  But science cannot account for this universality, does not concern itself with it, but accepts the fact as part and parcel of what science is.  Similarly, mathematics depends upon "one" as the principle of number, but it cannot account for unity or oneness, or explain what it is.

What about those who deny truth altogether, and who maintain that all assertions of truth are merely subjective (from the subject himself), and thus conclude that there is no truth, only individual perspectives and that what is true for you may not be true for me?

Indeed, there are many today who maintain this.  But the denial of truth is self-refuting.  If there is absolutely no truth, then the very statement "there is no truth" must be false (because there is no truth).  If the statement "there is no truth" is false, then there is truth, and it is possible to know the truth.  So denying truth only serves to prove that there is truth. 

But take note at this point that we did not resolve this question about truth through sense investigation; our method was not investigative as is the scientific method.  The problem was resolved through reason; our method was philosophical in the strict sense of the word.  Take that as an example of the fundamental difference between philosophy and empiriometric science.

Acknowledgement

Deacon Douglas McManaman. "What in the World is Philosophy?" Chapter 1 from Introduction to Philosophy for Young People (Douglas McManaman, 2013).

Printed with permission of Deacon Douglas McManaman.

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without the prior written permission of the publisher and copyright holders.

The Author

Doug McManaman is a Deacon and a Religion and Philosophy teacher at Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy in Markham, Ontario, Canada. He is the past president of the Canadian Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. He maintains the following web site for his students: A Catholic Philosophy and Theology Resource Page. Deacon Douglas studied Philosophy at St. Jerome's College in Waterloo, and Theology at the University of Montreal. He is the author of Why Be Afraid?, Basic Catholicism, Introduction to Philosophy for Young People, and A Treatise on the Four Cardinal Virtues. Deacon McManaman is on the advisory board of the Catholic Education Resource Center.

Copyright © 2013 Deacon Douglas McManaman

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LOVE FOR WISDOM.

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Philosophy: Love of Wisdom

Wisdom is truth well earned.

We are awash in a sea of knowledge. We are told every day what we want, what we need, and what we should do. Yet without context or connection, knowledge means nothing. Knowledge is not equivalent to wisdom. Wisdom cannot be told to you. It cannot be found on the Internet. It can only be gained through a personal quest to acquire it. Philosophy is that quest.

Others may define it otherwise, but to me, wisdom is the synthesis of knowledge and experiences into insights that deepen our understanding of the meaning of life. Both are required because theories without experiences can prove false, and experiences without theories can fail to be universal. Once you begin to gain wisdom, two remarkable things can occur: 1) you begin to understand your purpose and how to achieve it, and 2) you begin to connect your wisdom to that of other people across space and time. Patterns emerge like stair steps and, as you climb up, you will begin to experience the unity of all things. –Justarius

TABLE OF CONTENTS

On Philosophy

What is philosophy?Why is philosophy important?Who is a philosopher?BedrockPhilosophy and scienceKnowledge vs. wisdomSiddhartha by Hermann HesseJason Silva: performance philosopher extraordinaireTruths well told: philosophy related books worth readingPhysics of the Future

 

Understanding – The first step to success in anything is to understand yourself, others, the world, and how everything fits together.

Third Culture Kids (TCKs)

Introduction to Third Culture KidsYou owe the world nothingBe a beacon of lightIs religion the answer?A journal could change your lifeThe wanderer

Self

Your body is but a vesselKnow thyselfIdealists and dreamersActual Sunlight: a game of depressionQuiet by Susan Cain: a must readRelationships

Marry Him reviewOde on Parenting: Grit Is It

The Machine

Slaves of TimeYou cannot save the worldNo country remains unscathed by globalizationTrusting corporations with too muchElitist Republicans, egalitarian DemocratsForever waiting for SupermanBrilliant Read. A Time of Passion: America, 1960-1980

Taking Action – Once you understand the world and your place in it, you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

Developing Your Vision

The power of dreamsEveryone needs heroesHope not expectationHow to choose the right collegeIt’s ok to be differentI am who I amDifferent strokes for different folks

Staying Motivated

Exercise yourself in small thingsKeeping momentumKeys to successTime for a changeMotivating quotesTime remembers one time onceThe opposite of lonelinessLeadership

LeadershipNever choose a leader that is one of the folks?

The Wisdom of Others

The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar GracianGracian on knowledge and planningGracian on the importance of balanceGracian on mysteryGracian on social masteryGracian on peersGracian on action

 

Oneness – As you gain wisdom, you will begin to make connections between Truth, Love, and Beauty, and to appreciate the richness and diversity of ideas from thinkers across space and time.

Truth

Truth, love, beautyCreationism vs. evolutionScience is spiritualReligion’s grains of truthReligion’s stumbling blocksNature vs. Nurture? It’s both!Free will, determinism, and Malcolm GladwellLearning and understanding 

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VALUES.

Ecclesiastes
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Becoming CloserHomeSearchVanityPerils of PleasureTurn, Turn, TurnThree CordsNo Delight In FoolsBummer, DudeBetter Life, Balanced LifeTemple and StateThe Value of WisdomOld Man's WisdomRemember Your Creator   

The Value of Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 9

The world today is mad for knowledge and has little use for wisdom. But the old computer geeks had it right: Data is not information. Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom.

The View Before the Cross

Ecc 9:1-10 For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether it will belove or hatred; anything awaits him. (2) It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. (3) This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.(4) For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. (5) For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. (6) Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. (7)Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. (8) Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. (9) Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun. (10)Whatever your hand finds to do, do itwith all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Death comes to all

It is fascinating to note that so many have passed through this world with no contemplation of their day of death. It seems to surprise many that they will die. What is of importance to us in this lesson is the timing: the hour of your death is in the hands of God.

Does that surprise you? It is by his providence that you are here at all; all the events of your life are in his plan. The real question is, “What next?”

Here is the difference between the days of Solomon and our day. Solomon knew the character of God; he knew that the righteous would fare better with God than the wicked. But he had no specific promises about what happens after death. He didn’t know, “what next?”

He calls this an “evil under the sun.” The argument is pretty simple, really. You know that there is evil and indeed insanity running amok in this world.[1] You know that God is righteous – and yet you don’t see that God’s justice is prevailing in this world. To the contrary, the righteous are sorely tried, and the evil often seem to prevail. And then you die. It doesn’t seem right.

Of course, after the coming of the Christ we know the answer: there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun – and there is a day of judgment coming. Solomon has pointed out the problem; Christ is the solution.

It’s worse than you think

So, from Solomon’s point of view, things are bad because only the living have hope. Stop and examine that for a moment. What you do in this world is what counts eternally. Solomon reasoned that this must be so simply because he had no information about life after death. Once you die, you can change nothing – and therefore “future” is a word which is meaningless. That’s his view.

We see it from the other side. For those who follow Christ, it is still true that only the living have hope – for the dead in Christ are “present with the Lord.” Their faith is now made sight. Hope is a virtue reserved for the living. So live in hope while you can. Remember, your conduct counts.

Indeed, once you are dead, who’s going to remember you? Your family will for a little while, but eventually life moves on and you’re just a name in the family genealogy. This is burdensome to some of us; we think that our loves and hatreds should live on forever (ever try to pass on a love for classical music to your kids?). We are very passionate about things, and we think others should carry on that passion.

Even there – consider those who abolished slavery in our land. Do you feel their passion today? No; their cause is completed; only a few names remain in the history books. That’s the way it is; what are you going to do about it while you’re here?

What to do

Well, says Solomon, if you’re one of the righteous (see verse 1), then here’s what you should do:

Eat, drink and be merry – for God approves of your work. If you’re one of the good guys, don’t be gloomy. Act like you enjoy life – abundantly.Enjoy life with the woman you love. Notice the singular; and this is from Solomon! It’s a basic fact for males: things go better when you’re married to the woman you love, and enjoy that.[2]Whatever your vocation might be, give it your best shot – “as if unto the Lord.”

You only have so much time on the planet; make the best of it.

The race

Ecc 9:11-12 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. (12)Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

The way to bet

The race is not always to the swift – but that’s the way to bet. Consider, though, that if you can bet on it, that means it’s not certain. Let’s translate this well known passage into modern terms:

Just because you have the pole position, doesn’t mean you’ll win a NASCAR race. Think about it; if it were always the fastest car that won, we wouldn’t need a race, just time trials. Time and chance happen in NASCAR as well as life.We were supposed to win in Vietnam, too. Remember? We were the ones with all the technology – but wars are not just technology and strength. They are struggles of the will – and our will wasn’t nearly as strong as theirs. So the weak won.Is it possible that among the starving people of Zimbabwe there are no wise men? Or is it not more likely that Robert Mugabe’s kleptocracy prevails over all?[3]There is someone who got rich in the latest stock market dive, but it wasn’t me. And I think I’m pretty smart.Skill? Consider one Walter Johnson – the best pitcher baseball has ever seen.[4] Helost 271 games.

There it is: time and chance happen to all. The word “chance” should not be construed as probability; rather, it means “an event or interruption.” The message is clear: stuff happens. Expect it.

That has a significant implication. It means that you are going to face unexpected events in your life – and these events are a test of the Christian character you should be developing. And who knows when that exam ends?

The Value of Wisdom

Ecc 9:13-18 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me. (14)There was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. (15) But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. (16)So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. (17) The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. (18)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Wisdom is greater than strength

So we are told – and then we go out to get more strength. While it is true that “superior firepower is an excellent aid to negotiations” (George S. Patton), there are reasons why wisdom is preferable:

Strength alone leads to evil, because power corrupts. Without wisdom, strength simply leads you into trouble.If you rely on strength, you will soon discover that every crisis means war. (If all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail). It is plain, however, that war rarely produces benefits commensurate with its cost. Lincoln once estimated that the North could have purchased all the slaves in the South for the price of conducting the Civil War for ninety days.Rarely does war end anything. War is not over when you have defeated your enemy; it’s over when you have made your enemy into your friend. How much better to make friends first!

The poor man’s wisdom despised

Did you notice that in every FUBB[5] there’s someone with a memo in his Pearl Harbor file that screams, “I told you so!” How does this happen?

One reason is that we are social animals. In times of uncertainty, we look for the man who seems certain. If we can’t find him, we look for the man with the prestige. The lemmings are always looking for a cliff, it seems.If we can’t find the certain or the prestigious, we can always find the rich. A guy with that much money must know what he’s doing, right? We sure aren’t going to listen to the poor working stiff.

It’s amazing what we can talk ourselves into, isn’t it? So how do we find wisdom?

Wisdom heard in quiet places

It is a fact: my wife’s wisdom has its own wisdom. She delivers it in the quiet of the bedroom. Isn’t it amazing how much more likely a man is to listen when she does it that way? Why is that?

One reason is the ego. If wisdom is delivered in raucous argument, it’s likely to be overwhelmed by the emotional response of “saving face.”Contrarily, most of us also know that people who speak softly (but not hesitantly) are confident of their wisdom. They don’t need to shout. Therefore we listen to people who speak this way – if we can hear them at all.Indeed, is it not the case that God himself prefers the “still, small voice?”

It only takes one idiot…

With all this being indisputably true, why is there so much stupidity in the world we live in? I submit a simple answer: it only takes one fool to screw things up. Who knows how many wise men will be required to fix his foolishness?

May I submit to you an example? Consider the Japanese Empire in late 1941. Their relations with America were hardly satisfactory. This is not surprising given their incursion into China and generally threatening attitude. The intelligent thing to do was to back down, lighten up and make some substantial changes in policy. But that would have someone “lose face.” Despite the fact that a long war with America could only have one result, the Japanese saw no choice but to attack. They awakened the sleeping giant. Within four years they were crushed. They knew this would happen, but convinced themselves that the Americans wouldn’t go to war in a serious way. The result was completely predictable.

Interestingly, those in the cabinet who wanted peace were in the majority. They simply could not find a way to avoid the war – without social disgrace. It only takes a few moral idiots to send a nation down the wrong path.

That’s a lesson for us. If you think that such “social pressure” decisions can’t happen to America, I have only two words for you: “politically correct.”

[1] How he knew about Obama that far in advance…. (some things never change.)J

[2] We may assume Solomon’s advice works as well for women; remember that in his time a woman’s status was greatly different.

[3] This lesson was prepared in June, 2010. The illustration will be out of date soon – we hope.

[4] IMHO – but he was one of the first five men elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Ruth, Cobb, Mathewson and Honus Wagner.

[5] Fouled Up Beyond Belief – the clean translation.

        (LIBERTY CITY)