Greek Philosophies and Innovations

Ancient Greece developed many philosophies that continue to influence the world today. One of these is Humanism, the belief that reason is more important than piety and that people, not a deity or deities, were at the center of the universe.

Aristotle was an Ancient Greek philosopher and a student of Plato. He is most famous for establishing a system of logic that continues to be relevant to this day. The term Aristotelian Logic is named after him and was the dominant form of logical understanding up to the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

Pericles was a political figure and a leader of Athenian democracy. Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle were all philosophers whose works (and philosophies, in the case of Socrates, from whom we have no extant written works), continue to be immensely influential to this day. Sophocles was a dramatist and a renowned writer of tragedies. The ancient Greeks were known for their tragedies and comedies.

The Hellenic Period of Greek history was a time of great innovation in politics, economics, philosophy, mathematics, and a great deal else. Diophantus of Alexandria was a Greek mathematician who lived in the third century of the common era. He is often credited with the invention of algebra.

Epicureanism is a philosophical belief that rejects superstition and divine providence and argues that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important aspect of life. In Epicureanism, the pursuit of pleasure is somewhat removed from a modern philosophy of hedonism; instead, it advocates modest living and actively seeking knowledge as pleasurable pursuits.

In his most famous work, The Republic, Plato argues that for Greek society to become truly enlightened, it is necessary for philosophers to be kings, or else that “kings must genuinely and adequately philosophize.”

The Socratic Method, developed by the famous Greek philosopher Socrates, focuses on challenging established truth by employing logical reasoning and questioning.

Solon was an Athenian statesman in the sixth century BCE. His economic, political, and social reforms were designed to improve the conditions of life in ancient Athens, and although his reforms failed, they are credited with laying the foundations for Greek democracy.