Bosede A. Adebowale is a Lecturer in the Department of Classics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Classical Studies comprises of many fields such as Ancient Greek and Roman History, Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, Greek and Roman Mythology and Religion, Rhetoric, Ancient Greek and Roman Literature, Rhetoric, Gender Studies inter alia. Within this vast field of Classics, She has chosen Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy as well as Gender Studies as her areas of interest. Address: Department of Classics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Intertextuality presupposes the linkage of subjects, ideas and themes between and among texts. Al... more Intertextuality presupposes the linkage of subjects, ideas and themes between and among texts. Although numerous scholars have carried out intertextualreadings into various texts, only a few have delved principally into  cosmological connectives within texts from the cultural perspective of fatalism. The universality of the theme of fatalism and its rootedness in virtually every religion around the world necessitates this work. This study, therefore, investigates the textual hybridisation and thematisation of apparently contrasting worldviews (Greek and Yoruba) in order to improve the body of existing intertextual literature on fatalism. This study is anchored on the philosophical concept of determinism. Two texts were purposively selected – Sophocles' Oedipus Rex (OR), a classical play, and Ola Rotimi's The Gods are not to Blame (TGB), a contemporary play, for contextual and intertextual study. The study finds that TGB shares more than superficial semblance with OR though textual variations exist between both. TGB is considered a perfect hybrid that thematically draws parallels from OR, foregrounding the integral and unique religio-cultural affinity that exists between the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria and the Greek of the Classical era. Fatalism, being a fundamental aspect of the ancient Greek cosmology, was often thematised in Classical Greek writings as reflected in the text, OR. The study then concludes that the Yoruba people, like the ancient Greek, acknowledge the important role of fate as determinism in human life and as a reality beyond the control of the individual. Keywords: Oedipus Rex, The Gods are not to Blame, Greek, Yoruba, Fat
Mental illness is one of the most dreaded illnesses in human societies. Recent studies have inves... more Mental illness is one of the most dreaded illnesses in human societies. Recent studies have investigated the phenomenon as neurosis with psychotic manifestations in individuals across societies. However, there are diverse opinions on the cause(s) of mental illness. Therefore, interrogating the subject from the worldviews of two traditional societies— Ancient Greece and Yoruba - the study classifies the causes of mental illness into three: natural, physical and supernatural. It further investigates attitudinal correlation between societies in the classical era and modern times in the perception of mental disorders. The aims to detarmine if prejudices or biases are proximal or distal in both societies and to highlight the social implications for interpersonal relationships, especially as bases for the acceptance and social instability of those who experience mental illness. The study, which is basically descriptive, adopts philosophical and cultural analytical methods to foreground te...
Pontius Pilate's trilingual inscription on the cross of Jesus Christ has received considerabl... more Pontius Pilate's trilingual inscription on the cross of Jesus Christ has received considerable scholarly attention from different perspectives. However, none of such studies has taken a sociolinguistic perspective in the analysis of the inscription. Adopting the Socio-linguistic theory of language planning as theoretical framework, this study employed the tools of linguistic criticism to analyse Pilate's inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”, in order to examine the probable reasons behind Pilate's use of three languages to write the inscription and the implication of the title 'King' within the sociocultural setting and antecedent linguistic history of the Jews at that time. Primary data were drawn from the King James Version of the Bible; the text of the New Testament in Modern Hebrew , the New Testament in the original Greek , Byzantine Text Form , and the Latin Vulgate . Hebrew was the religious language of Judaism; Greek was the lingua franc...
This paper gives an interpretative ethical-cultural analysis of the Aristotelian concepts of virt... more This paper gives an interpretative ethical-cultural analysis of the Aristotelian concepts of virtue in ancient Greece and Ọmọlúàbí in Yorùbá worldview through the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, courage and temperance. Generally, virtue and vices are common terminologies in ethical theories. They constitute significant principles or rules for moral actions. Virtues are ways of describing the habit of following those principles and rules. However, Aristotle, rather than explaining right or wrong in terms of rules, appraises the human characteristics through actions that make a person virtuous, enabling him to act ethically or acceptably under different circumstances that cannot be covered by rules or principle. Aristotle developed a significant description of human virtue in two of his texts, the Nicomachean Ethics and the Eudemian Ethics and reached several conclusions on what it means for a person to be virtuous. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes virtue as qualities needed to live morally and to achieve the overall purpose in life- happiness. He maintains that striking a balance between a deficiency and an excess of a trait is important. He considers virtue as a state of being which abets a person to live according to reason. Aristotle’s virtue relates to the Yorùbá ideology of ọmọlúàbí the philosophical and cultural concept used to describe someone of good and virtuous nature. An ọmọlúàbí is expected to display and exhibit great virtues and values translating the core moral conduct in Yorùbá culture, such as: humility, good-naturedness, bravery, good will and diligence among others.
The anxiety regarding the afterlife and immortality has been with man since the dawn of civilizat... more The anxiety regarding the afterlife and immortality has been with man since the dawn of civilization. The question of afterlife is the most important personal question that can be asked in the light of the realization of one’s own mortality. The Afterlife is a generic term for a continuation of existence after death. But the form which an unending or indefinitely human life would take is obscure. However, it is generally believed that the souls of the departed persons make a journey to a specific region or plane of existence. The idea that there can be some continuation in existence after death manifests in religious and traditional beliefs, as well as in the actions and practices of the living, like funerary practices, ancestor worship, the concept of divine judgment, the doctrine of reward and punishment for the soul and the concept of the living-dead. This paper has as its task to examine how funeral rites reflect the concept of afterlife as a philosophical and religious belief among the ancient Greeks and the Yoruba of Nigeria.
The International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2017
Ancient Greek philosophy is important for an integral human development in the twenty-first centu... more Ancient Greek philosophy is important for an integral human development in the twenty-first century as it was in the ancient Greek world. For one, it helps in developing critical thinking ability, a virtue needed to survive in human society; it also helps in building and improving morals since philosophy teaches the psychological factors that help motivate people to be moral. The 20th and 21st centuries, which saw a paradigm shift in the areas of emphasis in Nigeria’s higher education began to disregard the foregoing as not being of any serious importance. One of the major victims of this shift was humanistic studies that became regarded as a useless field. This was done in favour of the sciences. Classical Studies and Philosophy, therefore, suffered double jeopardy as they became victims of society’s search for meaning and direction within the fold of the Social Sciences and other professional courses. Both disciplines, unfortunately, were misconstrued and erroneously conceived as majorly concerned with abstract realities lacking human contemporary touch. This seriously affected the fortunes of the discipline. This paper focuses on ways in which students in the present context address the questions of relevance and their future. Then, it evaluates pertinent questions such as: what role does philosophy play in contemporary Nigerian society? How can the instructors of the course (ancient Greek Philosophy) make it relevant to both the student and society at large? This paper also discusses the challenges encountered by both the teachers and students of the course in the global age.
Intertextuality presupposes the linkage of subjects, ideas and themes between and among texts. Al... more Intertextuality presupposes the linkage of subjects, ideas and themes between and among texts. Although numerous scholars have carried out intertextualreadings into various texts, only a few have delved principally into  cosmological connectives within texts from the cultural perspective of fatalism. The universality of the theme of fatalism and its rootedness in virtually every religion around the world necessitates this work. This study, therefore, investigates the textual hybridisation and thematisation of apparently contrasting worldviews (Greek and Yoruba) in order to improve the body of existing intertextual literature on fatalism. This study is anchored on the philosophical concept of determinism. Two texts were purposively selected – Sophocles' Oedipus Rex (OR), a classical play, and Ola Rotimi's The Gods are not to Blame (TGB), a contemporary play, for contextual and intertextual study. The study finds that TGB shares more than superficial semblance with OR though textual variations exist between both. TGB is considered a perfect hybrid that thematically draws parallels from OR, foregrounding the integral and unique religio-cultural affinity that exists between the Yoruba people of Western Nigeria and the Greek of the Classical era. Fatalism, being a fundamental aspect of the ancient Greek cosmology, was often thematised in Classical Greek writings as reflected in the text, OR. The study then concludes that the Yoruba people, like the ancient Greek, acknowledge the important role of fate as determinism in human life and as a reality beyond the control of the individual. Keywords: Oedipus Rex, The Gods are not to Blame, Greek, Yoruba, Fat
Mental illness is one of the most dreaded illnesses in human societies. Recent studies have inves... more Mental illness is one of the most dreaded illnesses in human societies. Recent studies have investigated the phenomenon as neurosis with psychotic manifestations in individuals across societies. However, there are diverse opinions on the cause(s) of mental illness. Therefore, interrogating the subject from the worldviews of two traditional societies— Ancient Greece and Yoruba - the study classifies the causes of mental illness into three: natural, physical and supernatural. It further investigates attitudinal correlation between societies in the classical era and modern times in the perception of mental disorders. The aims to detarmine if prejudices or biases are proximal or distal in both societies and to highlight the social implications for interpersonal relationships, especially as bases for the acceptance and social instability of those who experience mental illness. The study, which is basically descriptive, adopts philosophical and cultural analytical methods to foreground te...
Pontius Pilate's trilingual inscription on the cross of Jesus Christ has received considerabl... more Pontius Pilate's trilingual inscription on the cross of Jesus Christ has received considerable scholarly attention from different perspectives. However, none of such studies has taken a sociolinguistic perspective in the analysis of the inscription. Adopting the Socio-linguistic theory of language planning as theoretical framework, this study employed the tools of linguistic criticism to analyse Pilate's inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”, in order to examine the probable reasons behind Pilate's use of three languages to write the inscription and the implication of the title 'King' within the sociocultural setting and antecedent linguistic history of the Jews at that time. Primary data were drawn from the King James Version of the Bible; the text of the New Testament in Modern Hebrew , the New Testament in the original Greek , Byzantine Text Form , and the Latin Vulgate . Hebrew was the religious language of Judaism; Greek was the lingua franc...
This paper gives an interpretative ethical-cultural analysis of the Aristotelian concepts of virt... more This paper gives an interpretative ethical-cultural analysis of the Aristotelian concepts of virtue in ancient Greece and Ọmọlúàbí in Yorùbá worldview through the four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, courage and temperance. Generally, virtue and vices are common terminologies in ethical theories. They constitute significant principles or rules for moral actions. Virtues are ways of describing the habit of following those principles and rules. However, Aristotle, rather than explaining right or wrong in terms of rules, appraises the human characteristics through actions that make a person virtuous, enabling him to act ethically or acceptably under different circumstances that cannot be covered by rules or principle. Aristotle developed a significant description of human virtue in two of his texts, the Nicomachean Ethics and the Eudemian Ethics and reached several conclusions on what it means for a person to be virtuous. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes virtue as qualities needed to live morally and to achieve the overall purpose in life- happiness. He maintains that striking a balance between a deficiency and an excess of a trait is important. He considers virtue as a state of being which abets a person to live according to reason. Aristotle’s virtue relates to the Yorùbá ideology of ọmọlúàbí the philosophical and cultural concept used to describe someone of good and virtuous nature. An ọmọlúàbí is expected to display and exhibit great virtues and values translating the core moral conduct in Yorùbá culture, such as: humility, good-naturedness, bravery, good will and diligence among others.
The anxiety regarding the afterlife and immortality has been with man since the dawn of civilizat... more The anxiety regarding the afterlife and immortality has been with man since the dawn of civilization. The question of afterlife is the most important personal question that can be asked in the light of the realization of one’s own mortality. The Afterlife is a generic term for a continuation of existence after death. But the form which an unending or indefinitely human life would take is obscure. However, it is generally believed that the souls of the departed persons make a journey to a specific region or plane of existence. The idea that there can be some continuation in existence after death manifests in religious and traditional beliefs, as well as in the actions and practices of the living, like funerary practices, ancestor worship, the concept of divine judgment, the doctrine of reward and punishment for the soul and the concept of the living-dead. This paper has as its task to examine how funeral rites reflect the concept of afterlife as a philosophical and religious belief among the ancient Greeks and the Yoruba of Nigeria.
The International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2017
Ancient Greek philosophy is important for an integral human development in the twenty-first centu... more Ancient Greek philosophy is important for an integral human development in the twenty-first century as it was in the ancient Greek world. For one, it helps in developing critical thinking ability, a virtue needed to survive in human society; it also helps in building and improving morals since philosophy teaches the psychological factors that help motivate people to be moral. The 20th and 21st centuries, which saw a paradigm shift in the areas of emphasis in Nigeria’s higher education began to disregard the foregoing as not being of any serious importance. One of the major victims of this shift was humanistic studies that became regarded as a useless field. This was done in favour of the sciences. Classical Studies and Philosophy, therefore, suffered double jeopardy as they became victims of society’s search for meaning and direction within the fold of the Social Sciences and other professional courses. Both disciplines, unfortunately, were misconstrued and erroneously conceived as majorly concerned with abstract realities lacking human contemporary touch. This seriously affected the fortunes of the discipline. This paper focuses on ways in which students in the present context address the questions of relevance and their future. Then, it evaluates pertinent questions such as: what role does philosophy play in contemporary Nigerian society? How can the instructors of the course (ancient Greek Philosophy) make it relevant to both the student and society at large? This paper also discusses the challenges encountered by both the teachers and students of the course in the global age.
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