Tag Archives: Confucius

In Praise of Teachers—4,000 Years of Preparing the Next Generation

dPIAUPDATE! This post was originally published on May 7, 2013.  As long as humans have existed, people have learned from one another. It’s in our DNA. This is the genetic matrix upon which great civilizations evolved and centers of knowledge arose. For those who become the teachers, they take on the mantle of an ancient and noble art. AntiquityNOW is an enthusiastic supporter of teachers and their contributions through the often tumultuous but ever intriguing course of history. In that spirit we will be announcing on Tuesday, October 14 a very special resource tool specifically designed for teachers that can help them demonstrate to their students how the ancient past is not as distant as they may think. Stay tuned!

For more about inspiring and influential educators throughout history, check out our slideshow celebrating World Teachers’ Day 2013.

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Who was your favorite teacher or professor?  Can you still remember his or her lectures, an activity you did in class, a lesson that changed the way you think about the world?  Great teachers make an indelible mark on their students and are often remembered long after those students leave the classroom.  In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day, we take a look back at some of antiquity’s greatest educators and how we continue to use their teachings and methods today. Continue reading

May the Force Be With You: AntiquityNOW Celebrates International Star Wars Day

starWarsDay Marking this day, AntiquityNOW is launching a Science Fiction section on antiquitynow.org to explore how ancient motifs have influenced this popular genre.   

Today is International Star Wars Day.  May the Force (that’s right, it’s a spin on May 4th) be with you.  What is the enduring power of these movies?  Is it the storytelling, the intergalactic characters or perhaps the dazzling visuals? Yes to all.  But there is more at play. George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars series, has spoken frequently of how his personal interest in the metaphysical has informed his movie-making. Having been a long-time friend of the late American mythologist Joseph Campbell, Lucas found a mystical purpose in the magic of film.  “I’m telling an old myth in a new way,”[1] he said in a 1999 interview about Star Wars with PBS TV’s Bill Moyers. He describes this telling as a “kind of immaculate realism in a totally unreal and fantasy world.”[2] Many have suggested that his films are embedded with a religious undercurrent. But Lucas professes the most ecumenical embrace of spiritual ideals and dismisses any ties with a particular religion. For example, the Force was never intended to represent a specific religion, but rather a catalyzing idea that could awaken young people to the possibilities of a spiritual life.  He wanted them to question and seek their own perspectives of the unseen world.[3]Yet his dialog can seem profoundly religious and even vaguely familiar to those who are among the faithful.  As the powerful Jedi master Yoda said: Continue reading