Page 117 - STOLEN LEGACY By George G. M. James

ARGUMENT II: So-called Greek philosophy was alien to the Greeks

Because (i) the period of Greek philosophy (Thales to Aristotle) was a period of internal wars
among the city states themselves and external wars with their common enemy, the Persians. The
Greeks were victims of perpetual internal strife and perpetual fear of annihilation by their
common enemy. They had no time which they could devote to the study of nature, for this
required the riches and wealth of the leisure classes: but they were too poor to engage in such a
pursuit. This is one of the reasons why the Greek philosophers were so few and why the Greeks
were unacquainted with philosophy.

(ii) The Greeks did not possess the native ability essential to the development of philosophy. The
death of Aristotle, who had inherited a vast quantity of books from the library of Alexandria
through his friendship with Alexander the Great, was also followed by the death of Greek
philosophy which soon degenerated into a system of borrowed ideas known as eclecticism. This
system contained nothing new in spite of the great treasure of knowledge which they had
obtained through Alexander's friendship with Aristotle and his conquest of Egypt.

(iii) The Greeks rejected and persecuted philosophy owing to the fact that it came from an
outside and foreign source and contained strange ideas with which they were unacquainted. This
prejudice led to the policy of persecution. Hence Anaxagoras was indicted and escaped from
prison and fled to Ionia in exile. Socrates was executed; Plato fled to Megara to the rescue of
Euclid; and Aristotle was indicted and escaped into exile. This policy of the Greeks would be
meaningless, if it did not indicate that philosophy was alien to Greek mentality.

ARGUMENT III: Greek philosophy was the offspring of the Egyptian Mystery System

Because complete identity had been found to exist between the Egyptian Mystery System and
Greek philosophy with the only exception of age in relation of parent to child. The Egyptian
Mystery System antedated that of Greece by many thousands of years. The following are the
circumstances and conditions of identity:

(i) Complete agreement between the Egyptian, theory of salvation and the purpose of Greek
philosophy, i.e., to make man become Godlike by virtue and educational disciplines.

(ii) Complete agreement of the conditions of initiation into both systems, i.e., preparation (in
gradual stages of virtue) before every initiation.

(iii) Complete agreement in tenets and practice.

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Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy by George G. M. James
The Journal of Pan African Studies 2009 eBook