When we were reading in class today and discussing 4 Maccabees preference for rationality over emotionality all I could think about was why emotion was a good thing. This is probably because in my Spanish lit classes we’ve talked about how women are traditionally associated the irrational and the emotional and men with the rational (which makes sense when I think about how men aren't allowed to display emotion in our culture).
I'm still not convinced that emotion is entirely “bad,” but I think the author has got a point about rationality and selflessness. I find myself sort of torn. It is a good thing to give to the poor and not be greedy, as the authors tells us, and my understanding of the world agrees with that. And in conflict, when something bad happens to me, I first respond by feeling something, emotionally. But, I have learned, that it is best to process what is happening, and later react, to give myself some time to calm down and deal with the situation a little later, if possible. Also, it is good to stop eating when you have had your share. If you don't, your stomach hurts and you regret it. It makes sense. (I won't even get into sexuality because that's another analysis all together.) Point is, though, I can see the author's point.
Although, I should add that an important part of rationality is the wisdom and the law of Jewish tradition, so I'm applying his term and thinking about it in my own context, which I admit may be a little bit of a stretch.
And it's not like I'm an expert in human emotions. Today Dr. Finitsis said that the "situation" (I think he used the word "peripheries") of humans (by that I mean specifically developments in technology, for example) have changed a lot over the last few thousand years, but the way we "emote" is the same- which makes sense as to why I am still grappling with rationality and emotionality. We're still sitting here thinking about pleasure and pain and emotions and body and soul and rationality, as did the author of 4 Maccabees. And it’s two thousand years later...
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