The Greek Mind

Chapter 5:ii

Philosophers• from the Greek words phil “love”

and sophia “wisdom”• one who seeks enlightenment or

wisdom• the ancient Greeks produced

some of the most remarkable ideas the world has ever known

The philosophers of ancient Greece laid the foundation

for disciplines such as:

• history

• political science

• biology

• logic

logic

• from the Greek word logos, meaning “word”, “speech”, “reason”

• the science of reasoning

Sophists

• from the Greek word sophia

• professional teachers who traveled from polis to polis

• rejected the belief that gods and goddesses influenced human behaviour

“Man is the measure of all things.”

- Sophist credo

Socrates believed in

absolute truth.

[Image source: http://www.btinternet.com/~socratic/]

Socrates challenged his

students to think for

themselves and be able to

defend their opinions by

asking pointed questions.[Image source: http://www.a1.com/shirt/cgi/t-shirt.cgi?soc]

[Image source: http://www.btinternet.com/~socratic/]

Socrates was found guilty of “corrupting the young” and was

ordered to commit suicide.

Plato, a student of Socrates, became a

teacher at the age of 40 and

opened a school called the Academy. [Image source: http://phd.evansville.edu/plato.htm]

In The Republic, Plato presented

what he considered to be the ideal government.

Plato distrusted the lower classes:• believed that too much freedom would result in

social disorder

• wanted only the most intelligent and best-educated citizens to participate in government

Plato rejected the senses as a source of truth.

Reality could only be understood through logical

thought and reasoning.

The philosopher

Aristotle wrote over 200 books

on topics ranging from astronomy to

political science.[Image source: http://www.rit.edu/~flwstv/aristotle1.html]

[Image source:

ttp://ethics.acusd.edu/aristotle.html]

Aristotle taught the

golden mean, an ethical

principle that affirmed living

moderately and avoiding extremes in

one’s actions.

Herodotus traveled extensively during his

lifetime, recording everything he heard

and saw.[Image source:

http://www4.ncsu.edu:8030/~atstover/herodotus/]

He published his research in a tome called Historia

(“investigation”).

Thucydides is regarded as the first scientific

historian, because he was as accurate and

impartial as possible.

Thucydides visited battle sites, examined documents, and interviewed eyewitnesses while writing his book.

His History of the Peloponnesian War offered explanations for why events took

place and what motivated political leaders.

[Image source: http://windows.arc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/tour_def/people/ancient_epoch/

thales.html]

Thales was an astronomer and mathematician

who could predict solar

eclipses.

Pythagoras

[Image source: http://www.sabon.org/prana/pythagoras.jpg]

Hippocrates

[Image source: http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/biology/medicines/images/2c1Hippocjpg.jpg]

hygiene

[Image source: http://www.myrtlelearns.com/pictures/hygiene.psd.gif]