 |
| A classical Greek bust of the philosopher Plato |
Some of the greatest thinkers of the ancient world emerged from Greece and, in particular, Athens. Philosophy, or ‘love of wisdom’, was their way of searching for truth and reality in the world without relying on the answers given by religion or myth.
Socrates (469-399BC) was one of the most influential thinkers of the western world. His work centred on the study of ethics and moral virtue. Socrates believed that happiness hinged on leading a moral life and morals could be taught. He even thought that if virtue is knowledge, then evil is ignorance and, therefore, unintentional.
His work had a profound effect on his pupil, Plato (427-347BC), who went on to question ethics further in his writing. His masterpiece is The Republic (c.385-370BC), in which he questions the concept of justice and describes his ideal government.
Arguably, the biggest contribution was made by Plato’s pupil Aristotle (384-322BC), the first philosopher to truly separate philosophy from science. He devised the first system of logic, established the sciences of biology and zoology, founded his own university and was among the first political scientists. As a thinker, Aristotle’s achievement was unmatched until the 19th century.
|
You are not logged in
International
