Greek Philosophers
From World History Wiki
Greek Philosophy focused on the role of reason and inquiry. In several ways, it had an influence on modern philosophy as well as modern science. The most famous Greek philosophers who paved the way for other philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
"By all means get married, If you get a good wife you'll become happy; If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." -SOCRATES
"Human behavior flows from three main sources; desire, emotion, and knowledge."- PLATO
"Pleasure in the job put perfection on the work"- ARISTOTLE
>== Essential Question == How have the three famous Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristole influenced the world today?
Contents |
Summary
The Famous Three
Ancient Greek philosophy is dominated by three very famous men: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. All three of these lived in Athens for most of their lives, and they knew each other. Socrates came first, and Plato was his student. Socrates was killed in 399 BC, and Plato began his work by writing down what Socrates had taught. He then continued by writing down his own ideas and opening a school. Aristotle, who was younger, came to study at Plato's school, and ended up starting his own school as well. In the years after Plato and Aristotle died, in the 200's BC, three famous kinds of philosophy started up in the schools that Plato and Aristotle had started. These are the Stoics, the Skeptics, and the Epicureans. Each of these continued to be important ways of thinking about the world all the way through the Roman Empire, until people converted to Christianity in the 300's AD, and even after that. The three great Socratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, were to be "rediscovered" during the Renaissance and their rational, practical, and scientific ideas were to influence the thinking and the governmental, religious, and educational institutions of the entire western world.
Analysis
The three Greek Philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle influenced the world in their own different ways. They all were the founders of western philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were the most influential philosophers of there time. They influenced others today to follow in their foot steps and question the world around them. They each accomplished different things and made advances in many areas from science to mathematics. Socrates was the first to question things. He focused on the nature of things around us and what things really meant. Plato mainly focused on the absolute reality in ideas that can only be captured in reasoning and thought. Aristotle saw absolute reality in physical things that he discovered through experience.
Conclusion
The most famous and known Greek philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates was the first to interrogate the world around us. His noted student was Plato who was devouted to his teacher and was deeply affected when his teacher was murdered. His student was Aristotle who went on to tutor Alexander the Great.
References
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Moncur, Micheal. "The Quotations Page" 1997. 2004
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Pearson, Anne. "Ancient Greece". Dorling Kindersley. 1992
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