Why Aesop is Not Morally Sound
Aesop, as depicted in the Nuremberg Chronicle by Hartmann Schedel. Here he is shown wearing 15th century German clothing
Many believe that Aesop was a man of high moral standards. This is a modern-day myth.
He was a slave, who used his writings as a vehicle to move from one bad living environment to another, but not equally, bad living environment.
Many believe that he created works of moral reasoning for children … also a myth.
Aesop’s fables were void of any morality. Morals were not an original part of the fables. His fables we often created as a distraction to outwit opponents and were often presented in obscene venues.
The fables themselves are more like jokes with punch lines than moral tales of ethics and wrongdoings. Since the fables are basically jokes, many are downright crude in their language. The tone of the fables is jocular rather than wise and tends to focus on wit rather than revelation.
Aesop’s Fables are lessons in moral reasoning … for adults.
While Aesop’s Fables may be in today’s terms, chock-full of “values” that everyone should ascribe to and the use of animals brings to life moral reasoning for a younger audience, Aesop and his fables do not have a place for study among younger children.
Carefully consider the fable, before you brand it as good.
However, given their popularity, careful selection becomes of paramount importance. The general reader misses many of the underlying themes. For example, many curriculum include the fable, The Young Crab and His Mother. This is not a child’s story. This is a story aimed at chastising parents. It shows that children learn from their parents’ actions, not their words. Does the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do” ring a bell?
Moral of this tale: Not all fables are innocent.