The greatest science

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleἩ πιὸ μεγάλη ἐπιστήμη
3. Language term English
4. lemma author Koutalis, Vangelis
5. lemma category Ethics - Orthodox Anthropology - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Sources of knowledge (empiricism/rationalism)
6. Publication date 30-10-2017
7. lemma work Anonymous [Author]. The greatest science
8. lemma manifestations Ο Σωτήρ
9. Keywords conceptions of the Self - self-knowledge - self-consciousness
10. Citations
    1. <p>Anonymous (2008). Ἡ πιὸ μεγάλη ἐπιστήμη. <em>Ὁ Σωτὴρ</em>, <em>49 (1965)</em>, 416-417</p>
11. Lemma body

    1. In this short article, the anonymous author argues that the greatest science that the human beings can study is the knowledge of the real self, which must be seen as the outcome of a joint action between the grace of God and our own, human freedom. The genuine self-knowledge is the acknowledgement of the human powerlessness and dependence upon God and amounts to a painful immersion into our darkest existential depths. Through real self-knowledge the human beings acquire the humility which is necessary so that they can become receptive to the grace of God par excellence. The highest level of self-knowledge is that reached by those who are the humblest of the believers, i.e., by the saints.