Great Chain of Being
The Great Chain of Being is a philosophical concept that outlines a hierarchical structure of existence, with each entity in the universe having a specific place within this order. Originating in ancient thought and gaining prominence during the medieval period, it illustrates a continuum from God, considered the most perfect being, at the top, down to inanimate matter and ultimately to nothingness. This framework, often referred to as Scala Natura or the Ladder of Life, reflects an ideology in which higher-level beings possess greater intellect, authority, and attributes such as will and reason.
The roots of the Great Chain of Being can be traced back to Aristotle, who sought to categorize living things and perceived the universe as a perfectly ordered system. The theory influenced societal structures, particularly during the Elizabethan period, where it reinforced the divine right of monarchs and the established class hierarchy. While the concept persisted for centuries, by the 19th century, it faced challenges from evolving scientific perspectives, including Darwin's theory of evolution, which introduced a more dynamic understanding of species and their relationships.
Overall, the Great Chain of Being served as a moral and existential guide for individuals, shaping their understanding of their roles within the universe and the divine order. It also impacted various fields, including politics and astronomy, embedding itself deeply in the cultural and intellectual milieu of its time.
On this Page
Great Chain of Being
The Great Chain of Being is the concept of a hierarchical order existing in the world. This view was evident in ancient times and particularly prevalent during the medieval period. The term Scala Natura, translated as the scale of nature, is sometimes used interchangeably. Another term used to express the same idea is the Ladder of Life. God as the most perfect Being is at the top of the hierarchy and the existence of matter (mineral) at the other end, finally placing nothingness at the other extreme of the chain. The Great Chain of Being represents an ideological framework, where at the higher level of the chain the greatest intellect is found and additionally attributes relating to movement and ability, will and reason.
Brief History
Aristotle and the Great Chain of Being. The idea of the Great Chain of Being can be traced to the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC). In an attempt to attribute meaning to the relationship between living things, Aristotle and others after him developed systems of classification. Aristotle’s vision was of a perfectly ordered universe, leading to the view that the Great Chain of Being also followed this absolute perfection. In the order of the chain Aristotle placed the smallest creatures at the bottom and God at the top. Aristotle’s concept of the Great Chain of Being exerted a profound influence on later generations of Western thought.
Elizabethan Period. The Elizabethan period centered on the belief that the world was constructed according to a specific hierarchical structure according to the Great Chain of Being. This era experienced the Great Chain on a social as well as religious level. The feudal system and the monarchy, and the divisions of man depending on nobility rank, permeated the Elizabethan life. The Great Chain of Being theory had a great impact on the way people conceived their individual roles and that of the king and queen who ruled over them. As a divinely ordained monarchical system, this meant that the population regarded their leaders with awe; to disobey a monarch would be to challenge God’s authority and rule.
Doctrine of Fixed Species. Aristotle perceived the chain as each species’ representing one link in the chain. The particular level on the chain could not be represented twice, nor could species move between the links. For many centuries this was the popularly held view. In the nineteenth century, this concept was manifested in the Doctrine of Fixed Species. During this century, thoughts began to undergo a less restricted way of regarding the world, and Darwin’s theory of evolution arose.
Scholars Eustace Mandeville Wetenhall Tillyard (1889-1962) and Arthur Oncken Lovejoy (1873-1962) shaped the conceptualization of the Chain of Being. In Lovejoy’s seminal work, The Great Chain of Being: A Study of the History of an Idea, he explained the medieval and Renaissance world view pertaining to the hierarchical order of the universe with God at the uppermost level.
Overview
Authority and Hierarchy. In the Great Chain of Being model, the hierarchy that exists is associated with levels of authority. Those at the top of the chain exert authority over a species at a lower level. The order is set up as follows: God at the highest level, followed by angels, humanity, animals, plants, matter, and nothingness. God represents omniscience and omnipotence and encapsulates all aspects of existence, life, will and reason. God is immortal as are the angels who are on the next rung of creation. They also represent existence, life, will and reason. Humanity constitutes these attributes as well but with mortality rather than immortality. As each level becomes lower and comprises the next set of species, what is seen is that one of the elements falls away. Therefore animals, as the level beneath man, have existence as well as life and will, but lack the capacity of reason. Plants, below animals, have neither will nor reason, but still represent existence and life. Finally matter only has existence and nothing else, and nothingness is as the name suggests. In terms of this hierarchical structure beings on a higher level have a greater authoritative role over creatures beneath them. Man has authority over animals, who likewise are more superior to plants or minerals. God rules over the world and therefore has authority over all animate and inanimate beings or objects. Angels are also perceived to be higher than humanity, and the chain continues in this way.
Shakespeare. William Shakespeare lived in the time of the Renaissance revival and the concept of the Great Chain of Being. Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" is one of the playwright’s greatest works alluding to the Great Chain of Being. Pivotal moments are highlighted where the protagonist and leading characters point to the breakdown in the chain, and the chaos that ensues when God’s hierarchy is messed with and nature appears to be contradicted. The murder committed by Macbeth in order to gain the throne, has the effect of disturbing the natural order and wreaking havoc on an ordered world.
Impact of the Great Chain of Being. Given the ordered set of hierarchy, this helps people to know and make sense of their position in the scheme of the world. In terms of each one’s place in the Chain of Being, this facilitates the notion of having a moral compass, whereby one’s function is clear as is the appropriate mode of behavior. As God has ordained the order of things, this lends itself to a more religious orientation pertaining to world view. Politically, the Great Chain of Being implied that a monarchy would be ordained by God as a hierarchical structure mirroring how the universe is set up. The King would be indicative of a monarch (and linked to the concept of God as such), functioning as an earthly counterpart to a supreme being. Simultaneously, the king would look upward to God as the heavenly power. A further manifestation of how the Great Chain of Being affected broader patterns was in science, particularly in the realm of astronomy. The medieval view revolved around the belief that the earth was at the center of an orbit of perfectly formed circular planets.Astronomers posited their theories based on the perception of the chain.
Bibliography
"Arthur Oncken Lovejoy." Art & Popular Culture. Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia, 14 Jan. 2014.
"Aristotle and the Great Chain." College of DuPage, 25 Sept. 2004. Web. 27 Jun. 2016.
Brooks, David. "Guide for the Perplexed." TheNew York Times. The New York Times Company, 20 Aug. 2012.
"Elizabethan Era Chain of Being Theory." Elizabethan Era England Life. ElizabethanEnglandLife.com, n.d. Web. 27 Jun. 2016.
"The Great Chain of Being." BBC. BBC, 2016. Web. 27 Jun. 2016.
Mishlove, Jeffrey. "Evolution: The Great Chain of Being with Arthur M. Young." The Intuition Network. The Intuition Network, n.d. Web. 27 Jun. 2016.
Phillips, Robin. "Breaking the Chain: Shakespeare’s Use of the Great Chain of Being in Macbeth." Christian Worldview Journal, 28 Apr. 2014. Web, 27 Jun. 2016.
Rohr, Richard Fr. "The Great Chain of Being." Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 4 Jun. 2011. Web. 27 Jun. 2016.