Mysteries of Ephesus

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The Mysteries of Ephesus, which were located in the city of Ephesus (Latin; GreekἜφεσος Ephesos; Hittite probably Apaša) in the landscape of Ionia in Asia Minor, were among the most important mysteries of antiquity. The Temple of Artemis (Artemision) was already considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Here, the student of the spirit was led to experience the creative word of the world.

Heraclitus was initiated into the Ephesian mysteries and probably also Cratylus, who followed his teachings and of whom Aristotle reports that Plato "from his youth first became familiar with Cratylus and the Heraclitean doctrines" and also adhered to them later. Plato's dialogue "Cratylus" formed the starting point of European philosophy of language and linguistics. In the dialogue, Cratylus advocates the conviction that a natural, inherently correct relationship between words and the things designated by them is given from the outset. He who knows the designations also knows the things, and this is the only possibility of grasping the essence of things.[1] Plato rejected this, he did not accept words as independent means of knowledge and did not consider their phonetic form to be given by nature.[2] However, he did not reject the idea of an inner connection between designation and thing designated in principle, but only in the radical version advocated by Cratylus. A reduction of designations to purely arbitrary conventions was not in his mind, but he regarded the words as images of the things designated, which are more or less similar to these things.[3]

He did not reject the idea of an inner connection between designation and thing designated in principle, but only in the radical version advocated by Cratylus. 

Literature

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

References

  1. Plato, Kratylos 435d–436a. Cf. Jetske C. Rijlaarsdam: Platon über die Sprache, Utrecht 1978, p. 3–5.
  2. Michael Erler: Platon (= Hellmut Flashar (editor): Grundriss der Geschichte der Philosophie. Die Philosophie der Antike, Band 2/2), Basel 2007, p. 109–116, 477f.; Jetske C. Rijlaarsdam: Platon über die Sprache, Utrecht 1978, p. 9–12, 164–190; Bernard Williams: Cratylus’ theory of names and its refutation. In: Malcolm Schofield, Martha C. Nussbaum (editor): Language and Logos, Cambridge 1982, p. 83–93; Timothy M. S. Baxter: The Cratylus. Plato’s Critique of Naming, Leiden 1992, p. 164–183.
  3. David Sedley: Plato’s Cratylus, Cambridge 2003, p. 138–146.