1. Philosophers and Writers of the Golden Age Chapter 6 – Section 2

2. The Rise of Philosophy Philosophy is the study of basic questions of reality and human existence. The Greeks used philosophy to better understand themselves and the world around them. Philosophers often disagreed with one another, but most agreed that everything is based upon some sort of natural law.

3. According to tradition, the first Greek philosopher was Thales. Thales was known as a cosmologist. Parmenides set up formal rules of logic for philosophical arguments. Democritus stated that everything is made up of tiny bits of matter called atoms.

4. Socrates Socrates was an important philosopher from Athens. Socrates taught that education was the key to personal growth. He did not believe in memorization, but rather wanted students to ask themselves logical questions to help draw conclusions.

5. Although greatly loved, Socrates also had many enemies. He questions often made public officials look foolish. Socrates also came into conflict with the Sophists, a group of Athenian teachers. His enemies accused him of corrupting the minds of Athenian youth, and was executed as a result.

6. Plato Socrates never recorded his ideas, but later generations learned of them from the writings of another philosopher, Plato. After Socrates’s death, Plato founded the Academy, a special school in Athens for teaching philosophy. Plato wrote imaginary discussions that dealt with issues such as government, education, justice and religion.

7. Plato’s most important idea was the “Theory of Forms.” In this theory, Plato argued that perfection lay in a form beyond the physical world. Plato also saw human beings existing as two parts: the soul and the body.

8. Plato wrote the Republic, which describes his view of the perfect society. His ideal government would be an aristocracy, governed by philosophers and thinkers.

9. Aristotle One of Plato’s students in the Academy was a young man named Aristotle. Aristotle believed that every field of knowledge had to be studied logically. Aristotle had a special skill for defining and organizing things, which is an important part of modern science.

10. Aristotle investigated nearly every field of study known during his time, and in his book, Ethics, he tried to learn what makes people happy. In his book, Poetics, he analyzed drama to show what makes a good or bad play. His political views reflected his study of Greek culture.

11. He believed that monarchy, aristocracy and democracy were equally good forms of government. However, he felt they could be easily corrupted. Aristotle wanted to combine all types of government to create a limited democracy.

12. What common issues did Socrates, Plato and Aristotle study? They studied social and individual values.

13. How did their ideas about government differ? They differed on their views of democracy.

14. Mathematics, Medicine and Science Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher who believed that everything could be explained in terms of mathematics. He is best remembered for his development of the Pythagorean theorem.

15. The Greek philosopher Hippocrates is believed to be the founder of medical science. He based his studies on observation, experiment and experience. Hippocrates taught that disease comes from natural causes, not as punishment from the gods. Hippocrates believed that medical treatment should be based on reason, not on magic. Today, medical doctors take the Hippocratic, where they pledge to follow a code of ethics based on Hippocrates’s teachings.

16. The Hippocratic Oath “I swear… that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture… I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrongdoing.”

17. How did the Greeks’ approach to medical science differ from their approach to other sciences? They developed practical applications.

18. History The Greeks became the first people to take the written recording of history seriously. Herodotus was the first historian of the western world. He exaggerated at times, but was careful to note whether he had observed the event himself or heard about it through others.

19. Another historian, Thucydides, became famous for his account of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides believed that studying the past helps us to understand human nature.

20. Why was the approach to history developed by Herodotus and Thucydides important? It led to improved accuracy and objectivity.

21. Greek Theater Many of today’s literary styles were first developed by the Greeks.

22. Drama The Greeks were the first people to write dramas - plays containing action or dialog. Plays were always written in poetic form, and trained male actors played the roles of women.

23. The Greeks carved outdoor theaters into hillsides. At the bottom of the hill was a flat stage called the orchestra. Greek plays featured very little scenery. Athens’s major dramatic competition took place during the Great Dionysia.

24. Tragedies In Greek tragedies, the main character struggles against fate, or events. Often, tragic heroes were punished for displaying hubris, the sin of pride which offended the gods. Aeschylus wrote about religion and the relationship between gods and people. His three most famous plays centered on the murder of Agamemnon, the king who had led the Greeks against Troy.

25. Sophocles’s play, Oedipus Rex is considered a perfect example of tragedy. Euripides was more of a realist than Sophocles or Aeschylus. He questioned old beliefs, and his most famous work was The Trojan Women.

26. Comedies Greek comedies also originated at the Great Dionysia festival. These plays made fun of ideas and people. Unlike characters in tragedies, however, characters in comedies solve their problems.

27. The finest of Greek comedic writers was Aristophanes. His play Clouds poked fun at Socrates for his theories about education. He also disliked war, and used his plays to make Athenians think about the causes and effects of war.

28. : How did the Greeks’ style of playwriting reflect their society? It reflected a belief in the gods and commented on social issues.