Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to How do we even KNOW we're self-aware?

re: How do we even KNOW we're self-aware?

"We need to be very careful when discussing the idea of consciouness, it might be arrogant of us to think we actually control our own destiny. The ancient Greeks called that Hubris. "

No I don't thinks so.

"Hubris or hybris (Greek ὕβρις), according to its modern usage, is exaggerated self pride or self-confidence (overbearing pride), often resulting in fatal retribution. In Ancient Greece, hubris referred to actions taken in order to shame the victim, thereby making oneself seem superior.

Hubris was a crime in classical Athens. Violations of the law against hubris ranged from what might today be termed assault and battery, to sexual assault, to the theft of public or sacred property.[1] Two well-known cases are found in the speeches of Demosthenes; first, when Meidias punched Demosthenes in the face in the theater (Against Meidias). The second (Against Konon) involved a defendant who allegedly assaulted a man and crowed over the victim like a fighting cock. In the second case it is not so much the assault that is evidence of hubris as the insulting behavior over the victim."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubris

So punching someone might be ok to the greeks, as long as one didn't consider that act or perform that act so as to lower the status of another in thereby in a perverted way raise one's status.
Or said differently, a 16th duel to the death performed "properly" would be just fine, if not commendable to Ancient Greeks.

In today's world we have a sort of inverted Hubris [or perhaps you could say a hybrid] in which being victim has some kind of elevated kind status- something that might have been somewhat confusing to an ancient Greek.

But whether this would been confusing to an ancient Greek or not, being a victim in modern life has similar perks and consequential evil as Greek Hybris- it's something that "allows" or promotes a sense of entitlement- I can be a prick, because.....

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