Greek, Romans, Hellenistic worlds.. pfffffew!

Ancient philosophy after Aristotle.. As exciting as it sounds. I was starting to get my hopes up because the book has actually been quite interesting so far and I’ve definetely opened my eyes and my mind for a different kind of thinking and analysing (philosophical maybe..?). But this chapter killed my interest – totally. It started off alright, describing how the Greek speaking world was divided into three different periods; the free city states (freedom and disorder), the Maledonian domination (subjection and disorder) and finally the Roman Empire (subjection and order). It also gave a brief summary of the Hellenistic age and gave examples of how the Greeks changed during the ages as they came to learn about new cultures and superstitious ideas – with other words, they developed their own theories and religion towards a new modern version.

Even though the book mostly talks about one or two dominant philosophers from a certain point in time, I do think there must have been more ideas out and about that never got as much attention as for example Plato and Aristotle’s ideas did. Maybe even more interesting and developed ideas were circulating in the ancient Greek, ideas that might have changed something else or developed a new perspective on life etc., but maybe due to the extreme publicity that previous mentioned philosophers had during and especially after their lifetime, we lost out on bits that could have changed for example society and the government to the better because someone else was in the lime light at that point. Who knows? Who will ever know..?

With the Roman Empire we can see roles and positions that can still be found in present governments etc, and it definitely shows that both the Greek and the Roman age are to be considered as very important mile stones for Western societies philosophy, politics and development as a whole. I do think that even without these two groups we would have a government in today’s society, somewhat similar to what we have, but not as well developed as it is said to be ( -if we can call today’s government well developed... This is definitely a later question which is very debatable...)

Ah well, got a bit side tracked from the book – but if I wouldn’t have read the book the thoughts and ideas mentioned here would probably not ever occur to me... And since I found the part (no 3, book 1) not very exciting, I’d rather bore you all people with something I do find exciting instead of something I don’t even care about... Anyway... Long story short – there is still much to read in my book – better get going again.

Cheerios

Mads

Here we go again!

Well if I found the first part of the book a tad confusing and over informating, God knows what to call the hundred pages following.. Here, the author discusses Plato, Socrates and Aristotle, their views on life, on human kind, on society and everything else there is to mention about them and their role in the Greek society, and their role in history. The biggest influence on these, and other, Greek philosophers seem to be the influence of Sparta – both through the reality and through the myth. Basically, the sole purpose of Sparta and its citizens was war, and this was all that matters. Due to this fact, society and the way it was built up, did not mean as much to a citizen because all he, or she (!), was trained to do, was fight. Therefore, the constitution of Sparta was much more complex than the more structured forms of constitutions we started to see at this point in Greece. For example, two kings were ruling the country at the same time (who both belonged to two completely different families), alongside with an assembly, a council of elders and a few more bodies, all struggling, trying to share the reigning power. The Spartans seemed to be invincible for a long time, but eventually, 371 B.C. , their supremacy fell.

Plato was Socrates pupil, and these two philosophers turned out to be two of the most influential philosophers in Greek, and Western societies, philosophy. They wanted to find out whether wisdom really exist, if justice can be defined in an appropriate way, how citizens in a society can or cannot control power in a ‘healthy’ way, what, if there is one, the distinction between reality and appearance is.. the questions and thoughts keep trailing through their years alive on this planet, and some of them still keep present philosophers awake at night.

The Greeks turned out to be an important mile stone in the history of Western civilization and in mankind evolving into what it has turned out to be today. But, what would have happened if for example Sparta had managed to take Greece over and maybe destroyed the entire Greek civilization? How would for example a plague or a fatigue affect the ways the Greek society got shaped, and still is shaping the Western society today with governments and constitutions? Would we be somewhere completely different in history and would we have developed an entirely new form of ruling and reigning a country and its citizens, or is democracy, with its con’s and pro’s, the idea of a fair society that we would have ended up with – because it is the most natural way for mankind to develop into?

But, what about today’s society in another two million years time? Will the human being of that time look back at our society and thing ‘God how stupid, why didn’t they realise this and that?’, ‘Why didn’t they see that global warming was just this, and not that?’ and ‘Why on earth bother with this or that, it’s just so completely wrong!’.. We feel, with the Internet and moon landing etc., that we are at the peak of evolution, both political, technical and so on – but are we really? Is that just the same thoughts that Greek society lived in, and societies after. It must have been exactly what they felt like when they ‘discovered’ that the Earth is flat..

Cheerios
Mads

Back in action!

So after what feels like a decade long summer holiday – with still three weeks to go – I felt as if I’ve been lazying around way too much now, and as if the time has finally come to get back in action and do some proper studying. The pile with the philosophy books that are supposed to be read over the summer break have been lying there on my table for quite a while staring at me. Now I’m finally staring back at them, opening them and realising that my choice is wise, this is probably going to take up all my time I’ve still got left before Uni once again kicks off. History of Western Philosophy (Bertrand Russell) and Plato to Nato (Brian Redhead). Not what I would choose to read in my spare time, but quite interesting since I don’t know very much about the history of philosophy at all, and I love to learn new things – that’s what life is all about.. Right?

The book I decide to start with happens to be the heavy brick book about western philosophers from years and years before Christ, leaping through time and eventually ending up with modern times and the present ideas and theories presented by the philosophers active in today’s society. But not to rush things, first thing first. Let’s begin with the rise of the Greek civilisation.

The Greeks are known to have invented mathematics, science, philosophy and they are also getting the credit for being the first to write history . The Greek society was divided into many small independent provinces, and therefore the social systems differed depending on if you were living on the country side or in a city. Kings ruling the country were not absolute and their power were not inhereditary. Democracy included all citizens, except from slaves and women who weren’t considered citizens.

Philosophy is said to have begun with Thales about 585 B.C. He said that everything is made out of water and he also had a great part in evolving the first steps of the geometry we still use in Western societies today. Throughout the years, many ideas were built upon Thales first philosophical ground stones, such as water being one of the four elements that create everything, as well as his ideas getting scrapped by others who couldn’t understand how something liquid and a subject that were always moving could be a corner stone for something bigger.

To think that someone made a discovery that water is probably a part of everything, more than two milleniums ago without the equipment we use in today’s society, is fascinating. Especially when science men and philosophers still agree that water is a part of life and death, heaven and earth and everything in between.

During the early years of Western philosophy Greece was definitely the country were the action took place. Philosphers like Anaximanes (everything is made of air), Pythagoras (mathematics), Heraclitus (everything is made of fire) lived and worked along side less famous philosphers. Their ideas were eventually brought together as Empedocles stated that everything is made of a mix of fire, water, air and earth and due to this nothing ever stays the same, everything flows. For example, you cannot step into the same river twice, because the water will not be the same as new fresh water is always flowing upon you.

I must admit from reading about all these genious men – becuase unfortunately it was only men who were allowed to ‘think’ and act – I get a bit dizzy. So many thoughts and ideas circulating around, how to be able to seperate right from wrong, the truth from the lies and the visible from the invisible and still believe in it.. It is just amazing.. And, realising these guys were actually doing it two thousand years ago.. Wow.. If it wasn’t for them, maybe the earth would still be flat..

Tomorrow a short review of the second part of the first book, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, will be up on the blog accompanied with a few of my own ideas and thoughts. Hopefully you will be here taking part of it as well!

Cheerios
Mads x