Transcript Chapter 8 PP - Riverdale High School

Chapter 8
Hellenic Culture
Philosophy: the Love of
Wisdom
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Pre-Socratic Philosophy
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Interested in origin, nature of physical world
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Greatest contribution was concept of law in the universe
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Thales of Miletus was first philosopher
Some of their general concepts have been proven correct
What happened in cosmos was result of laws, thus
understandable and predictable
Did not look to gods for explanations of phenomena
Natural law – set of phenomena in nature which explain why
certain things happen
Anaximander – theory of natural evolution of species
Hippocrates
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Founded of scientific medicine
First great empiricist in natural sciences
Classical Age
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
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Socrates
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Focused on questions of ethics and truth
Systematic questioning is essence of Socratic method
He challenged students to examine, justify everything
before accepting it
Was accused of poisoning their minds, found guilty,
committed suicide
Plato (Socrates’ pupil)
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Tried to solve problem of how to recognize truth and
reality
Concluded it cannot be done beyond certain point
Analyss of how politics were, and should be
Classical Age
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Aristotle (Plato’s pupil)
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Interested in every form of science, formal
analysis of thought, action
Best-known works are Politics, Physics,
Metaphysics
Also mathematician, astronomer, botanist,
student of medicine
Philosophy marked by strong sense of selfconfidence
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Humans were capable of understanding
everything
Greek Religion
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Polytheistic
Gods included Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena,
Apollo, Demeter
Religion was different
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Gods were less threatening, omnipotent
No priestly class
Gods not taken too seriously
Comparison with modern religion
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Not revealed by supernatural authority
No holy book, system of moral conduct
No centralized ecclesiastical authority
Largely series of rituals, participation was act of patriotism
Greek Religion
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No speculation or fear about afterlife
Philosophy took place of religion
Each polis had its own local deities
Golden Mean – middle ground
between extremes
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Greeks distrusted radical measures
Believed person who claimed to have
perfect solution was guilty of overconfidence (hubris)
Arts and Literature
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Three major art forms
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Pictorial, architectural art
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Drama
Lyric poetry
Classical architecture
Harmony, symmetry
Ideal beauty of human body
Grace, strength
Most art was anonymous
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Artist simply did what he did best
Parthenon was ordered build by Pericles
Literature
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Literature took several forms
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Dance, music intensely cultivated
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Poetry highly developed
Drama one of most popular arts – citizens
expected to take part
Many references to them
Reed, string instruments
Greeks prized craftsmanship
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Ceramics in great demand
Clay jugs used in export trade
Society and Economy
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Country of small farmers
Polis was usually small, homogenous
Education level was high, primarily
urban
Work
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Manual labor considered undignified
But not all people could afford slaves
Machinery was unknown
Most workers were free men and women
Slavery
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Slaves were numerous
Not normally abused, many were
highly prized, skilled
Many employed directly by the state
Most others were domestic servants
Usually only 1-2 per household
No civil rights, could not serve in
military
Gender Relations
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Women generally excluded from politics,
economy
Greeks distrusted, disliked women
Women worked through father, husbands,
sons
Some variations – Spartan women were
free, equal
Athenian women limited to the home
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Rarely seen in public
Their job was household, children, servants
Segregated within the house
Women in Athens
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Poor and rural women somewhat more
free
Legally inferior to men, had only
limited citizenship
Prostitution was common – hetaerae
were well-paid, well-educated
performers
Homosexuality relatively common
Sports
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Greeks admired healthy body
Had first organized athletic events
open to all men – Olympic Games
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Began as more religious observance,
added sports
Competitions for honor of home towns
Sort of patriotic reunion
Declined after Macedonian conquest
Greek Legacy
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Romans adopted much of Greek
heritage
Style, content of arts, philosophy,
science, government spread over
Europe
Peculiar form of civilization composed
of mix of Greek and non-Greek
developed
Discussion Questions
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1. Choose a controversial issue in your life
and world-view. Now, examine it by the
Socratic Method, questioning every aspect
of both sides of the issue. Ask a question,
then ask another question about the answer
to the first. Repeat the process for at least
ten questions. How does this method help
to define the problem and find a definitive
answer?
2. Consider your immediate and extended
family. What commonalities do you see with
the Greek family? What differences?