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Greek Philosophers
Philosophy: comes from the Greek word for “love of
wisdom.” Greek philosophy led to the study of history,
political science, science, and mathematics.
Philosophers: Greek thinkers who believe the human mind
could understand everything.
There were many philosophers. A Greek philosopher
named Pythagoras taught his pupils that the universe
followed the same laws that governed music and numbers.
He believed that all relationships in the world could be
expressed in numbers and developed many ideas about
mathematics.
Pythagoras developed the Pythagorean theory used in
geometry.
Sophists were professional teachers in ancient Greece.
They traveled from city to city teaching others. They taught
how to win an argument and make good political speeches.
Sophists did not believe in gods and goddesses and rejected
the idea of absolute right and wrong. They also believed
what is right for one could be wrong for another.
SOCRATES
Socrates was an Athenian sculptor whose true love was
philosophy. He was a critic of the Sophists. Socrates left no
writings behind. Everything we know about Socrates was
learned from his students.
Socrates believed that absolute truth existed and that all
real knowledge was within each person.
Socratic Method: Asking pointed questions to force his
pupils to used their reason and to see things for themselves.
Athenian leaders considered Socratic method a threat to
their power. At one time there was open debate in Athens,
but the Athenian leaders did not trust open debate after
their defeat in the Peloponnesian War.
In 399 B.C., leaders accused Socrates of teaching young
Athenians to rebel against the state. A jury found him guilty
and sentenced him to death.
Socrates could have fled the city but instead argued that he
had to obey the city’s law and drank poison to carry out the
jury’s sentence.
IDEAS OF PLATO
Plato: was one of Socrates’ students. Historians were
able to learn a great deal from the writings of Plato.
Republic: a work written by Plato. It explained his ideas
about government. He stated that democracy was not a
good system of government and did not think that rule of
the people produced fair or sensible policies. Plato
believed that people could not live good lives unless they
had a just and reasonable government.
In the Republic, Plato described his ideal government. He
divided people into three groups
1. Philosopher-kings who ruled with logic and
wisdom
2. Warriors—they defended the state from attack
3. Everyone else—driven by desire, not by wisdom.
They produced the states food, clothing, and shelter.
Plato also believed men and women should have the
same education and an equal chance to have the
same job.
Aristotle
Plato established a school in Athens known as the Academy. The
best student in the Academy was named Aristotle
Aristotle: wrote more than 200 books on topics ranging from
government to the planets and stars.
In 335 B.C., Aristotle opened his own school called Lyceum. He
taught his pupils the “golden mean.” This idea holds that a person
should do nothing in excess. For example, a person should not eat
too little or too much but just enough to stay well.
Aristotle advanced in science and urged people to use their senses
to make observations, just as scientist do today. Aristotle was the
first person to group observations according to similarities and
differences and then made generalizations based on the facts.
Aristotle studied 158 forms of government to come up with the
best form in the book Politics. Divided government into three
types:
1. Government by one person: king or queen or tyrant
2. Government by few people: aristocracy or oligarchy
3. Government by many people: Democracy
Aristotle’s ideas shaped the way Europeans and Americans thought
about government. The founders of the United States Constitution
tried to create a mixed government based on Aristotle’s ideas.
Greek Historians
In most ancient societies the people did not write down the
history. Myths and legends explained their past and culture.
In 435 B.C., Herodotus wrote the History of the Persian Wars.
Herodotus tried to separate fact from fiction. He asked
questions, recorded answers, and checked the truthfulness of
his sources. He uses gods and goddesses to explain events.
Western historians consider him the “father of history.”
Thucydides fought in the Peloponnesian War. After he lost a
battle, he was sent into exile. He then wrote History of the
Peloponnesian War.
Thucydides saw war and politics as the activities of human
beings, not gods. He also stressed the importance of having
accurate facts.
Quote: “Either I was present myself at the events which I have
described or else I heard of them from eyewitnesses whose
reports I have checked with as much thoroughness as possible.”
Thucydides
Many historians describe Thucydides the greatest historian of
the ancient world.
Macedonia Attacks Greece
Macedonia lays to the north of Greece. They raised sheep,
horses and grew crops in the river valleys. They were a
warrior people who fought on horseback. The Greeks
looked down on them, but they were a powerful kingdom in
400 B.C.
In 359 B.C., Philip II became the king. He admired the
Greeks: their art, ideas and armies. He wanted to have a
strong empire in order to defeat the Persian Empire.
Philip trained his army to fight like the Greeks and took over
the Greek city-states one by one. Some united with his
kingdom.
Demosthenes was a lawyer and an Athenian public speaker.
Gave powerful speeches that warned the Athenians that
Philip was a threat to the Greeks and urged them to unite
against Macedonia.
The Greeks were weak and divided and in 338 B.C. the
Macedonians crushed the Greek allies at the Battle of
Chaeronea near Thebes. Philip now controlled most of
Greece.
Greek Philosphers
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Greek Historians
Macedonia
Greek Philosophy and History
Greek Philosophers
1. What does the Greek word Philosophy mean and what studies did it lead too?
2. What is the definition of Philosophers?
3. What did Pythagoras teach his pupils? What did he believe in?
4. What theory did Pythagoras come up with?
5. What are Sophists? What did they teach?
Socrates
1. Who was Socrates and what did he believe in?
2. What is the Socratic Method?
3. What did Athenian leaders accuse Socrates of doing?
4. What was his punishment and how did Socrates do to carry out his sentence?
Plato
1. Who was Plato?
2. What did Plato’s book the Republic explain?
3. Why did Plato think democracy was not a good form of government?
4. What are the three groups of Plato’s ideal government and describe them?
Aristotle
1. What school did Plato establish?
2. Describe Aristotle and the “golden mean”.
3. What was Aristotle the first to do in grouping?
4. In the book Politics, describe the three types of governments mentioned. Who used the
Aristotle’s ideas on government?
Greek Historians
1. What book did Herodotus write and in what year?
2. How did Herodotus explain events and what is his nickname by Western Historians?
3. Describe Thucydides. What book did he write? What did historians consider him?
4. How does Thucydides differ Herodotus when explain the events in his book History of the
Peloponnesian War?
Macedonia
1. Describe the Macedonians. How did they live, fight, and how did the Greeks think of them?
2. What did Philip II admire about the Greeks?
3. Who was Demosthenes and what did he do to warn the Greeks of Macedonia?
4. Why did the Greeks lose the Battle of Chaeronea?