ideas and philosophy of ancient greece and how our educational system and society have been influenced by them

Running Head : The influence of Greek Philosophy Ideas and Philosophy of Ancient Greece and how our Educational System and Society Have Been Influenced by Them Your Name

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Ideas and Philosophy of Ancient Greece and how our Educational System and Society Have Been Influenced by Them

Many of HYPERLINK "javascript :void (0 " the roots of Western Civilization can be traced back to the ancient Greeks . They made long-lasting contributions in the areas of art , architecture , HYPERLINK "javascript :void (0 " philosophy , math , drama , and science

and , as a result , the origins of many of the west 's social and educational foundations can be found in ancient Greece . Athens and surrounding areas produced some of the most influential and brilliant philosophers scientists and mathematicians and their legacy continues to this day The teachings and philosophies of these ancient Greeks , and the way they have been adopted by modern day society in the west , can be used to explain how the West has remained so influential and successful in the world today

A big contributions made by the Greeks to Western society came in the form of rational thought . Rational thought was created in the Greek city of Ionia , an ancient region of HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Anatolia " Anatolia in present-day HYPERLINK "http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Turkey " Turkey . Ionia was a place of intellectual curiosity , where the citizens were heavily influenced by their exposure to traders from around the world . One of the most prominent thinkers at this time was a man named Thales of Miletues , who was considered as one of the seven "seven sages ' or seven wise men " of ancient Greece . Thales was highly interested in the relationship between the element of water and the rest of the universe and began to explore scientific methods to explain phenomena pertaining to the two bodies . Such questioning acted as a strong deviation from Greek thinking at the time , which explained the origin and nature of the world through myths of anthropomorphic gods and heroes . Prior to the work of Greeks like Thales , natural phenomenon such as lightning , earthquakes and wind were widely believed to be the result of actions of gods like Zeus (lightning , Posiden (Sea and Earthquakes ) and Boreas (cold north wind . Thales ' work was recounted in the first person and , as such , represented the use of human reason and the rational mind . This approach to life spurred an intellectual revolution in ancient Greek times and they are subsequently accredited with acknowledging the power of the human mind for the first time . Their opening of the mind extended beyond human beings at an individual level and influenced all ways of life and society including politics governing laws , literature , art , history and new inventions

One of the most prominent characteristics of western thought are the questions of how ' and why ' life is the way it is . Immediately from early childhood , people are encouraged to ask these fundamental questions and are encouraged to question their...