36 Facts About Iosipos Moisiodax

Iosipos Moisiodax or Moesiodax was a Greek philosopher, an Eastern Orthodox deacon, and one of the greatest exponents of the modern Greek Enlightenment.

Iosipos Moisiodax was director of the Princely Academy of Iasi.

Ioannis Moisiodax was born in the town of Cernavoda in Western Dobruja, at the time part of the Ottoman Empire.

However, there is no doubt that Iosipos Moisiodax saw himself as Greek and he presented himself as such.

Between 1759 and 1762 Iosipos Moisiodax studied at the University of Padua, under Giovanni Poleni.

In 1765, during the reign of Grigore III Ghica, Iosipos Moisiodax came to Moldavia where he became the Director of the Princely Academy of Iasi, and its professor of philosophy.

Iosipos Moisiodax went first to Brasov, and after that to Wien, where he published his most important work, The Apology.

Iosipos Moisiodax admired Descartes, Galilei, Christian Wolff, John Locke, but most of all he admired Isaac Newton.

Iosipos Moisiodax thought that philosophical instruction must begin with the study of mathematics, and that good philosophy is mathematical philosophy.

Also, Iosipos Moisiodax banned the Aristotelian logic from the academic curricula, replacing it with the theory of knowledge, and proposed that the Ancient Greek be replaced in classrooms by Modern Greek, in order to increase the clarity of the lessons taught.

Iosipos Moisiodax was a critic of Greek society and culture during the Modern Greek Enlightenment.

Iosipos Moisiodax believed that Greek society, in relation to Europe, overemphasized the importance of maintaining ancient philosophical theories over the incorporation of modern philosophical theories created during the Enlightenment.

Iosipos Moisiodax rejected the notion of the infallibility of ancient theories while acknowledging their importance as the foundation for modern philosophy.

Iosipos Moisiodax mirrored his reforms after John Locke's theories on education, specifically those found in Locke's work entitled Some Thoughts Concerning Education.

Iosipos Moisiodax's theories mirrored the section on education in Diderot's Encyclopedia.

Iosipos Moisiodax believed that, early on in their lives, children needed to be taught self-respect and respect for their elders.

Iosipos Moisiodax tasked a child's parents with providing them with this early education.

Iosipos Moisiodax argued that to do this, parents needed to include their children in the daily functions of the nuclear family and shelter them from certain public functions such as weddings or gambling events.

Iosipos Moisiodax based his education reforms for the classroom on his own experiences as a young student.

Iosipos Moisiodax argued that Greek educators needed to punish children with less severity, and instead create punishments that fit their disobedient act.

Furthermore, Iosipos Moisiodax argued for the reform of Greek language education.

Nonetheless, members of the clergy such, as Iosipos Moisiodax, used their elite positions in the Greek Orthodox Church to promote modern, enlightenment theories.

Iosipos Moisiodax argued against the teaching of religious superstition in schools, mirroring John Locke's argument against the teaching of religious superstitions in medieval European education systems.

Iosipos Moisiodax argued that religious superstitions impeded on a student's ability to act as an enlightened member of society.

For example, Iosipos Moisiodax looked favorably on Newton's physical theories and their explanations of the physical world through the natural sciences.

Iosipos Moisiodax used these theories to argue for the importance of integrating his "sound philosophy" into the Greek education system.

Iosipos Moisiodax argued that social and cultural change could best come about by explaining the natural world through natural sciences rather than religious superstitions.

Iosipos Moisiodax critiqued the inequalities created by the education system used by the Phanariots and other elites while Greece was under the Ottoman Empire's control.

Iosipos Moisiodax argued that this system precluded Greek society from progressing because it only allowed elites to access the education system.

Iosipos Moisiodax faced criticism and threats of violence for propagating his ideas.

Additionally, Iosipos Moisiodax believed that he was criticized by some philosophers who supported the Ancients in the debate between the Ancients and the Moderns.

Iosipos Moisiodax believed that these philosophers feared that their theories would become irrelevant if Greek society adopted modern philosophical theories.

Nevertheless, Iosipos Moisiodax felt it was his duty to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment.

Iosipos Moisiodax desired to spread his theories in the hopes of enlightening all Greeks.

Rigas Feraios, a contemporary of Iosipos Moisiodax who adhered to many of his theories, advocated for the creation of a separate Balkan society controlled by Greek speakers.

However, Iosipos Moisiodax argued for a government founded on the basis of republicanism.