Athenian Humanism Essay

“The Restoration of the Athenian Empire” Our walls are crumbling and our fleet is minute. We here in Athens are unable to collect tribute from other city-states and are often in threat of being attacked. Our fleet is defenseless and weak. The Democratic fraction, propose that we spend our time and hard earned money on the rebuilding of our walls and fleet. That way Athens can dangerously collect tributes from other Greek city-states. The Democrats also would like to commence in hazardous military voyages with our insubstantial navy. Hoping the result brings forth great rewards.

In the School of Athens there is a large group of people which are many famous mathematicians and philosophers and they are all pictured in a very large room. With all these philosophers and mathematicians and scientists it is shown that they are all sharing ideas and thoughts. This show humanism during this time because it is some of the greatest minds associated with humanism. Philosophers study philosophy which is the study of reality and real things. The mathematicians and scientists also only deal with stuff that is on Earth. None of the people pictured deal with anything not on Earth and they are all sharing information with each other. This shows humanism because all these people are totally against the Church’s beliefs and they believe that man is greater than the study of the spiritual

Again, by exploiting the dichotomy between East and West and between mind and spirit, Hamilton explains the defining character of Greek artistic achievement. Again, by returning to the theme of balance and proportion, she demonstrates how the Athenians' unique worldview changed all civilizations to follow.

In this time period led towards the concept of humanism, which is the valuing of uniqueness, talents, and rights of one person. (Marshall) Examples of change due to individualism appear in the change of lyrics in poetry when the lyrics are personal. (Bulliet 108) In the time before the great philosopher Socrates and philosophers before him were referred to as pre-Socrates philosophers. Pre-Socrates philosophers did not want the traditional religious explanations and sought out for rational answers. They were concerned on how the world was created, what it is made of, and why changes occur. (Bulliet 108) An important advancement in science was when pre-Socrates philosophers theorized that the world is made out of atoms. Because of that one philosopher, the world was able to advance much quicker and that theory is the basis of science. (Bulliet 108)

In Greece we see a similar emphasis in moving away from the human rejection of intelligence. In Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave, he tells a story focused around the view that most people live in a world of ignorance and need to go against the norm and to seek intelligence. This Greek philosopher dictated these ideas that are still used in theory in modern America. Although Americans and Greeks are not exactly alike, they share many similar traits, reflecting the Greek influence on America.

When evaluating the government of ancient Athens, some might say that it was a democracy, however, it can be better described as an oligarchy: a form of government in which a small group of people have power and control (Doc. D by Mogens Herman Hansen). A democracy takes all the citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account unlike an oligarchy that only takes the male citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account. Thus, ancient Athens was more like an oligarchy than a democracy. The people of Athens also decided as a whole what the best thing for their city-state was, as opposed to a democracy where the people elect representatives to make decisions for them and their city-state. Ancient Athens was not truly a democracy because of the lack of basic democratic rules and methods such as what they defined democracy as, who voted, and how they voted.

Athenian society was very dynamic in many areas while it was strict in regard to the treatment of women. Although Athenian women were protected by the state and did not know a different way of living, they were very stifled and restricted. The only exception was slaves, and heteria, prostitutes, and this was due to the fact that they had no male guardians. Since these women were on there own they had to take care of themselves, and therefore were independent. In a more recent and modern way of viewing the role of a woman, independence and freedom to do as one likes is one of the most important aspects of living. In Athens the wives had none of this freedom and the prostitutes did. Who then really had a “better”

Athens was a Democracy because, sense they created Democracy then it is what they want it to be. For example, if you created the word “Welcome” and that word meant nothing in that point in time, then wouldn't you be able to use that word anyway you want and no one could argue it isn’t what you want to be. So if Athens created Democracy wouldn’t it be what they wanted it to be. I read in Document D all male landowner citizens come together in a small group and vote over future laws.

Pericles’ Funeral Oration by Thucydides, and Sophocles’ play, Antigone, both illustrate cultural values that are crucial in understanding the dynamic of Ancient Athens. In these two pieces of literature, the cultural values are explained and understood through death. Pericles delivered the Funeral Oration as part of a public funeral for some of the Athenian fatalities in the first year of the Peloponnesian War. In Antigone, Sophocles is able to encompass values and conflicts through the death of Antigone’s brother. Pericles connects the death of soldiers to the importance of community, trust, personal freedoms, and social order that was essential in the success of Ancient Athenian Culture. Sophocles addresses the values of family, religion, and loyalty in his play, Antigone. The values highlighted in each of these works are very similar as they institute the importance of the patrioi nomoi (Athenian constitution) to the success of the Athenian state.

Democracy means a government ruled by the people. Athens were not a democracy because they only allowed 12% of citizen men to vote nobody else could unless they were citizen men. (Doc C) In a true democracy people would have equal say, but the athens did not let women vote or people that weren’t citizens. In ancient athens people couldn’t express their thoughts, if a majority of others disagreed with the idea they could banish the person. Athens weren’t a democracy because they didn’t allow citizen women, foreigners, or slaves to vote. Athens didn’t allow people to think differently or they'd be killed or sent away. Many people had barely any rights because they were either slaves, women, or people who weren't born in a Athens couldn’t

When evaluating the government of ancient Athens, some might say that it was a democracy, however, it can be better described as an oligarchy: a form of government in which a small group of people has power and control (Doc. D by Mogens Herman Hansen). A democracy takes all the citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account, unlike an oligarchy that only takes the male citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account. Thus, Athens is more like an oligarchy than a democracy. The people of Athens also decide as a whole what the best thing for their city-state was, as opposed to a democracy where the people elect representatives to make decisions for them and their city-state. Athens was not truly a democracy because of the lack of basic democratic rules and methods such as what they define democracy as, who is able to vote, and how they vote.

When evaluating the government of ancient Athens, some might say that it was a democracy, however, it can be better described as an oligarchy: a form of government in which a small group of people has the power and control (Doc. D by Mogens Herman Hansen). A democracy takes all the citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account, unlike an oligarchy that only takes the male citizens’ opinions and thoughts into account. Thus, Athens is more similar to an oligarchy than a democracy. The people of Athens also decide as a whole what the best government for their city-state was, as opposed to a democracy where the people elect representatives to make decisions for them and their city-state. Athens could be seen as not a true democracy because of the lack of basic democratic rules and methods such as what they define

Socrates spent his time questioning people about things like virtue, justice, piety and truth. The people Socrates questioned are the people that condemned him to death. Socrates was sentenced to death because people did not like him and they wanted to shut him up for good. There was not any real evidence against Socrates to prove the accusations against him. Socrates was condemned for three major reasons: he told important people exactly what he thought of them, he questioned ideas that had long been the norm, the youth copied his style of questioning for fun, making Athenians think Socrates was teaching the youth to be rebellious. But these reasons were not the charges against him, he was charged with being an atheist and

In Chapter 2 of Republic, Glaucon uses the Myth of the Lydian Shepherd to portray a pessimistic view of human nature. Plato, the author of Republic, uses his brother Glaucon to tell the Myth of the Lydian Shepherd. We are led to believe that Plato takes the myth and its implications on human nature very seriously by use of a personal character. The argument, originally given by Thrasymachus, contends that at the root of our human nature we all yearn for the most profit possible. It also contends that any man will act immorally if given free reign. The theory proves unplausible due to circularity in the argument and implications that prove untrue.

Throughout human history, humans have sought perfection and the ideal most likely to compensate for the unfairness and defectiveness of their day to day lives. The history of human kind has witnessed many in different cultures. The famous Greek philosopher Socrates, who was born 469 BCE and died some forty years later standing for his ideas and ideals in a famous trial as reported by one of his students, Plato (428-347) BCE, is an example that never dies.