Xenophanes, The Open-Minded

   Before I begin discussing his ideas, interacting with Xenophanes has prompted some tangential thoughts that I would like to address. The way the Greeks conceived of and made use of poetry amazes me. Today, our artists and our academics recognize a clear separation between their fields, but in ancient Greece, it appears common for a serious thinker to also be a poet. This is not to say that modern poets never have profound thoughts, or that modern scholars have no appreciation for beauty. Modern poetry certainly discusses and addresses ideas and issues of substance, but it rarely does so with the treatise-like level of attention Xenaphones gives his work regarding theology.

    Regarding his theology, I find it interesting and significant that he condemns the personalization of the gods as arrogant and inaccurate. This type of analytical thinking is exactly the sort of skill philosophy is oriented toward teaching. Asking hard questions, daring to think differently about the answers, humbling oneself to accept an idea never before encountered, letting go of a long held conclusion that may be inaccurate, and making a stand on what one believes to be the truth are all practices that Xenophanes demonstrates through my readings of him. It seems to me that what I have most to learn from Xenophanes are not his ideas but his methods.

    If I can learn to adapt the example Xenophanes gives to my own life, I believe it will make me a better leader, thinker, citizen and person. It seems to me that stagnation or complacency of thought and emotional attachment to one's ideas are the source of many unnecessarily vicious arguments. If I can move past these hurdles, future dialogue and discussion stands a much better chance of being productive.