Prometheus (2 of 3) Hesiod's authoritarianism
Channel: Eric Luttrell
Date: 2017-02-14

This is the second of three video lectures for Unit 5: Prometheus. It focuses on selections from Hesiod's poems "Works and Days" and "The Theogony" that deal with Prometheus and Pandora. In particular, I examine the psychology of authoritarianism that underlies Hesiod's view of a cosmic hierarchy that is ordered by the power and will of Zeus. This includes a brief discussion of 20th and 21st century psychological studies of authoritarianism which have been repeated across cultures, indicating that this way of thinking does not originate from individual cultures but is likely a part of our evolutionary psychology. It helps to explain why Hesiod condemns Prometheus' support for humanity as futile and harmful in the face of Zeus' right-of-might.