Harald Haarmann Book order

Dr. Harald Haarmann is a linguist, cultural scientist and philosopher. Since 2003 he has been Vice-President of the Institute of Archaeomythology (main office in Sebastopol, CA / USA; ) and director of its “European Branch” (with location in Luumäki / Finland; ). Harald Haarmann has authored more than 80 books in German and English. Some of these books have been translated into over a dozen languages, including Spanish, Italian, French, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and others. Among his works are several world histories (of writing, languages, numbers, ancient civilizations, of forgotten cultures, of the spread of the invention of the wheel in the world). The scope of the present volume is to draw attention to a world of major achievements, in the social, cultural and technological domains, that served as a corner-stone for the layout of Greek civilization. Greek antiquity developed into a sort of turntable for these achievements that experienced manifold transformations and were transferred to the emerging civilizations of the western world.

Plato's philosophy is uniquely comprehensive, yet often misinterpreted due to a historical detachment from spirituality that emerged during the Enlightenment. This shift prioritized reason over spiritual aspects, leading to an oversight of the rich spiritual currents within Plato's work. His writings reflect a profound connection between philosophy and spirituality, emphasizing the wholeness of human life. This integral relationship has been largely neglected in mainstream philosophical discourse, highlighting a significant gap in understanding Plato's true contributions.

Over the last few years, archaeologists have been finding more and more evidence for the existence of a civilisation on the Balkan peninsula which, between the 6th and 4th millennia BCE, was using a writing system long before the Mesopotamians. In this book, Harald Haarmann provides the first comprehensive insight into this enigmatic Old European culture which, until recently, was unknown. He describes trade routes and settlements, arts and crafts, the mythology and writing system of the Danube Civilisation; he traces its origins to the Black Sea area and shows which cultural influences it had on Ancient Greece and the Near East.

This study documents various historical instances in the development of the concept «Common Good». The author reflects about Plato's theory of Forms, which is infused with the idea of good, as the first principle of being. Plato was not the first philosopher to address the theme of the Common Good although he was the first to construct a political theory around it. This theme has remained a central agenda for philosophers throughout the ages

Plato is one of the most influential philosophers of all time. He decisively shaped the profile and canon of western philosophy. Criticism of what has become known as Platonism has been continuously nourished by the difficulties of interpreting this philosopher's writings. Plato is commonly viewed as a purely rational philosopher. A philosopher he was indeed, but Plato was also an expert in approaching the non-rational, in the form of mythology among others. Plato has been called a „mythmaker“ and a „mythologist“. Plato was a visionary who dared to explore the realm of the non-rational in a systematic and disciplined way. In an overall comparison, Plato's philosophical enterprise strives for a comprehensive perspective on the organic whole. The expression „Gestalt“ seems to come closest to describing the wholeness. Plato may be considered to be the most prominent representative of classical philosophy to develop a Gestalt philosophy and also the last to do so in antiquity.

Exploring various dimensions of modern Finland, the book delves into its history, culture, language, and geography, alongside natural history and early mythology. It examines the relationship between Fenno-Scandia inhabitants and their environment, contrasting traditional naturalism with contemporary environmentalism. Key aspects of "Finnishness," such as the educational system and gender equality, are analyzed. Additionally, the work highlights Finland's contributions to art, architecture, music, and its role in global peacekeeping efforts.

The Enlightenment's perception of Greek intellectual life favored reason, dismissing myth as a source of knowledge and asserting a monopoly on truth through rationalization. This view, which positioned reason against myth, misrepresented the realities of ancient Greek thought and has influenced modern education, privileging reason as the primary mode of inquiry. However, ancient Greek intellectuals, including pre-Socratic philosophers and classical thinkers, did not see myth (mythos) and reason (logos) as oppositional. Instead, they utilized both as valuable modes of inquiry. Plato, for instance, emphasized the importance of mythical narrative in his reasoning and introduced the term mythologia in his dialogue, the Republic, to describe how mythical themes could serve as knowledge sources. This study seeks to correct traditional misconceptions about ancient Greek intellectual life by reconstructing a mental landscape where myth and reason are interconnected. It aims to illustrate how mythos and logos are intertwined within the ancient Greek language, highlighting their vibrant interaction and shared significance in the intellectual pursuits of the time.

Language politics, the use of language by those in power, has a rich history intertwined with human activities and power dynamics. While the agendas of language politics have been extensively examined, the origins of the connection between language and politics remain less understood. Recent studies have shed light on the early emergence of power relations in society, highlighting a significant link between the rise of such relations and the spread of Indo-European languages. Evidence suggests that the first clear manifestation of political power in Europe occurred in the northwest Black Sea region, specifically at Varna, an ancient trade center that attracted Indo-European pastoralists from southern Russia. Typically, the culture of the elite becomes dominant, leading to a shift in language prestige that often results in the assimilation of the local population. Around 4500 B.C.E., the takeover at Varna had a profound impact on the development of language, culture, and society in the area, with these changes radiating throughout southeastern Europe and beyond. Harald Haarmann presents the first systematic study of the initial phase of Indo-Europeanization initiated by the Varna event, exploring its implications for language and cultural proliferation.

Writing is unanimously regarded as a marker of civilization in the sense of ‘civilization as high culture’. This insight has never been seriously questioned. What makes writing a marker of civilization is more than its mere function as an information technology. Those who possess writing have always been aware that, beyond the practical use of rendering ideas and words in the written code, it constitutes the realm of symbolic values that make writing an ingredient of cultural ecology. In order to perceive the magnitude of the art of writing as a communicational tool designed by the inventive mind, it is necessary to shed light on the cultural conditions in human communities that further the motivation of early writing. The present outline therefore does not only focus on a formal description of the ancient scripts as an information technology but also on the evolution of human symbol-making and on an inspection of the sociocultural conditions which made the elaboration of a system of visual communication – of first writing – possible.