The Greek MindThe Greek Mind

Chapter 5 section 2Chapter 5 section 2

• The Greeks believed that that the human mind was capable of understanding everything

This belief led to the philosophy This belief led to the philosophy movementmovement

• Philosophers are thinkers that produced new ideas about science, history, political science, biology, and logic (reasoning) PythagorasPythagoras

The SophistsThe Sophists• The Sophists were a group of The Sophists were a group of

philosophers that rejected the philosophers that rejected the belief that gods and goddesses belief that gods and goddesses influenced human behaviorinfluenced human behavior

• They traveled around as They traveled around as teachers, but many gathered in teachers, but many gathered in AthensAthens

• Sophists also did not believe Sophists also did not believe in absolute moral and legal in absolute moral and legal standards- grey areasstandards- grey areas

• They believed that They believed that “man is the measure “man is the measure of all things” and that of all things” and that truth is different for truth is different for each individualeach individual

• Many Sophists taught young men the art of rhetoric, public speaking and debate

SocratesSocrates• Anti- SophistAnti- Sophist

• He believed in He believed in absolute truth absolute truth rather than rather than relative truthrelative truth

• Originally a Originally a sculptor by trade, sculptor by trade, but he spent but he spent most of his time most of his time teachingteaching

Socrates did not teach rhetoric. Socrates did not teach rhetoric. He was interested in the process He was interested in the process of individual thought. This of individual thought. This became what is called “Socratic became what is called “Socratic Method”Method”

• Socratic Method is the Socratic Method is the

basis of the study of logic basis of the study of logic

as a science.as a science.

• He would pose questions to his He would pose questions to his students and then oppose their students and then oppose their answers with logical arguments. answers with logical arguments. This forced students to defend This forced students to defend their statements and to clarify their statements and to clarify their thinkingtheir thinking

• In 399 BC, In 399 BC, Socrates was Socrates was accused of accused of corrupting the corrupting the young and of not young and of not worshipping the worshipping the gods worshipped gods worshipped by the state.by the state.

• He was sentenced He was sentenced to deathto death

• Plato was a pupil of Plato was a pupil of SocratesSocrates

• After Socrates’ After Socrates’ death, Plato death, Plato became a teacher became a teacher and opened his and opened his AcademyAcademy

• Plato was the only Plato was the only man to record man to record Socrates’ dialoguesSocrates’ dialogues

• Plato preferred Sparta to Plato preferred Sparta to AthensAthens

• He thought that the state He thought that the state was more important than the was more important than the individualindividual

• He also thought that too He also thought that too much freedom= chaosmuch freedom= chaos