World History – Western Political Thought

Ancient Greeks

• Did not eat meat that had not been sacrificed to a god

• Did not know about tomatoes, potatoes, oranges or lemons

• Saw the beard as a sign of manhood, and barbers were leading citizens

• Wiped their hands on bread instead of napkins, and fed the bread to the dogs

• Wore long T-shirts made of cotton, although slaves only wore loincloths

• Only men and boys were allowed to be actors, and they wore masks to show their moods

• A Spartan specialty was black soup made from salt, vinegar and blood

• Boys in Sparta went to military camps at age 7 and learned how to read and write at age 10

• Olympians performed in the nude and ate sheep testicles to enhance their performance

• Believed priest had the power to talk to the gods

• Used urine to treat wounds and whiten their teeth

• Played with the yo-yo 3,000 years ago

But the ethical and moral ideas of the ancient Greeks have directly influenced the development of Western political thought.

How?

The idea of direct democracy* comes from the ancient Greeks

*people participate and represent themselves

Athens

• Citizens- adult male residents, granted certain rights and responsibilities

• Only 1/10 of population were citizens and eligible to participate.

• No citizenship for women, slaves, and foreign residents.

Roman Republic

• In ancient Rome, you had to be rich to be a citizen.

• Aristocracy- Greek word aristokratia, which comes from the root words aristos, meaning "best," and kratos, meaning "rule."

• Aristocracy- power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility (rule by the best)

Rome saw the rise of

the Republic

• Representative democracy- citizens elect representatives.

Greek and Roman Point of View

• Citizens should vote, debate, make laws, serve on juries, hold office

• The world has natural laws that can be discovered through reason and logic

• Democracy can be protected by having 3 separate branches

• Laws should be written down

logic and reason can be used to think about the world and the nature of the universe, human society, and morality.

The Search for Truth

• People are born with dignity and worth• People can choose between right and

wrong• People are responsible to help others

and the community

Jewish and Christian point of view also supports

democracy

These religious ideas spread throughout Europe

• The Jews were exiled from Judea in 70 A.D. and spread throughout Europe, bringing their ideas with them

• Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and became the dominant religion of Europe

• Islam spread throughout the Middle East and became the second largest religion in the world.

Today’s belief systems• Christianity• Islam• Non-religious• Hinduism• Chinese Religions• Primal faiths• Buddhism• Sikhism• Judaism

Classical Greek Philosophy

• Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

• Greek philosophers or “lovers of wisdom”

Socratic method

• Question and answer• Knowledge is virtue.

• Socrates taught Plato.

• Plato taught Aristotle.

• Aristotle taught Alexander the Great.

• Alexander the Great built the Greek Empire.

PlatoRule by Philosopher -

Kings

A perfect society would be governed by the wisest; not the richest or most powerful

Plato and Aristotle wrote about Tyranny

Tyranny = ruler that does not serve the public interest

• Student of Plato

• Used reason to learn about reality

• Beginning of the scientific method

Aristotle 384 - 322 B.C

The universe is put together in an orderly way and is subject to

absolute and unchanging laws.

People can understand these laws through logic

and reason.

Truth is best understood from the observation of living things

3. The U.S. Constitution Is influenced by the philosophers, and has influenced political systems all over the world.

Twelve TablesDefined law in writing

Aristotle compared the constitutions Of 158 city-states and found 3 types of governments:

Rule by one man - monarchy/tyranny

Rule by a few men - aristocracy/oligarchy

Rule by many - democracy

3 Types of government

monarchy

oligarchy

democracy

Plato vs. Aristotle• essence/truth can be

found by looking inward (introspection)

• primary principles come from pure thought

• all knowledge exists independently of nature.

• Essence/truth can be known only by studying nature.

• primary principles are attained by examining nature

• nature and knowledge are inseparable.

The Magna Carta influenced ideas in the Declaration of Independence

The Magna Carta

England, 1215

• No tax levied except by the common consent

Declaration of Independence,

1776

• No taxation without representation

The Magna Carta

England, 1215

• Right to trial by jury

• Due process of law

Declaration of Independence,

1776

• Right to trial by jury

• Due process of law