Philosophy Of The Human Person Essay Sample free essay sample

The last faculty discussed the gradual separation between mythology and doctrine in the Grecian civilization. Mythology had a great influence over the development of doctrine. It provided constructs. images and narrations that were appropriated. criticized or flatly rejected by doctrine. While there may be a â€Å"break† between mythology and doctrine. doctrine still relied on the fabulous inclination to narrate in a poetic manner – that is. in in writing and ocular footings that were easy understood. Furthermore. the early philosophers still had to turn to the myths in order to foster their ain constructs about the universe and humanity. But the inquiry is why are we concentrating ourselves in Greek doctrine? Are at that place no other doctrines in the universe contemporary to the clip of the early Greeks? I. Doctrine – Where Did It Come From? To state that doctrine originated downright from the Greeks is a error. The mere fact that every civilisation in the whole universe has its ain set of fabulous narrations implies that there is a possibility for every civilisation to develop its ain set of doctrine. We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy Of The Human Person Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another thing. it is besides a fact that there are other booming doctrines in other parts of the universe that precede. about coincident to or contemporary with Grecian doctrine. We can name Buddhist. Hindu and Confucian doctrines as illustrations. There are besides surveies that say Grecian doctrine is influenced by or derived functions of the mystical humanistic disciplines of Egypt and other Near East civilizations and faiths. Whatever the instance. there is no unequivocal reply as to the beginning of doctrine itself. There is far excessively much correlativity among civilizations. civilisations. faiths and myths to merely nail the exact location of the beginning of doctrine itself. It is hence non a inquiry of where. Rather. we must inquire: what is particular among the Greeks that we readily tie in doctrine with them? The influence of Greek doctrine is undeniable. From the clip of its origin in the sixth century BCE until the Hellenistic times. its incorporation into the Roman universe until today. there can be no equivalent to the monolithic part of Grecian doctrine to about every organic structure of cognition we have. Much of Western idea may be credited to Greek doctrine. so much so that Alfred Whitehead. a philosopher himself. says that â€Å"European philosophical tradition is a series of footers to Plato. † While we may state that Grecian doctrine itself is a merchandise of both Western and Eastern myths. faith. divinity and cosmology. we have to acknowledge that doctrine as we understand it now. is a Grecian creative activity. It seems that the Greeks taught themselves how to ground. II. What Made the Greeks Different? A cautiousness must be made when stating â€Å"Greek† in depicting doctrine. While it is true that the trade name of doctrine being discussed here is â€Å"Greek† . non every Grecian culture/society can be credited with the development of doctrine. Example: the Spartans were Greeks but they neer had any strain of philosophical motion. The Athenians and Milesians were Greeks and they contributed to philosophy. The Ionians were Grecian people but they were non from Greece itself – they are from contemporary Turkey. What is being referred to here. hence. are the peculiar Greeks who have a manus in the development of doctrine itself. So. what was different among these peculiar Greeks that doctrine flourished among them? First. those metropoliss where doctrine bloomed were metropoliss with wealth. In the ancient times. most affluent civilisations were affluent due to their agricultural advantages. Examples in this instance are Egypt. Babylon and Mesopotamia. However. Grecian metropoliss like Athens and Miletus are non agricultural lands. Therefore. the wealth of these metropoliss can merely be explained by another beginning – that is trade. But the economic status of the metropoliss entirely can non explicate how and why doctrine flourishes in that certain metropolis. In the first topographic point. Egypt and Babylon are far richer than the Grecian metropoliss but they have non seen a growing in doctrine. This can be explained by the civilization that an agricultural society Fosters compared to that of a society that relies on trade. Agricultural civilisations normally become autocratic societies that value conformance above others. Independence of head and creativeness of ideas are non tolera ted. This is extremely seen in Egyptian society – the absolute regulation lies on the Pharaoh and those who are non in the Pharaoh’s societal category are provincials or slaves coerced or seized for labour and revenue enhancements. On the other manus. a metropolis that relies on trade Fosters considerable independency – being far off from place and authorization. covering with fresh thoughts. patterns. civilizations and peoples. Discovery. wonder and the independency to treat the changing thoughts from different civilizations allow so for a originative ambiance that encourages philosophical thought. Yet once more. a trading metropolis entirely can non explicate why doctrine can turn in a certain topographic point. There is a much more ancient metropolis engaging in trade than Athens – that is Phoenicia. but doctrine has neer taken root among them. However. the Greeks learned something from the Phoenicians – the 2nd ground being the phonic alphabet adapted by the Greeks from the Phoenicians during their trading yearss. Unlike that of the Egyptian hieroglyphs. the Phoenician alphabet was more flexible in its application since it did non necessitate excessively many images to show a idea. Not merely that. since the hieroglyphs were besides more ritualistic and spiritual in application. it was entirely for those intents merely that it was used. unlike the Phoenician alphabet. Ideas recorded through the phonic alphabet therefore had more opportunities of being understood. spread. interpreted and preserved for other coevalss. But non merely that. the Phoenicians have bes ides founded settlements all over the Mediterranean throughout their history so that some Grecian philosophers really have Phoenician lineage. The first philosopher. Thales. is said to hold Phoenician lineage though he resides in a Grecian metropolis. Again. accommodating a phonic alphabet entirely can non explicate why doctrine can develop. There is a alone event in the history of Greece – that is the 3rd ground: the loss of the establishment of kingship. This has neer happened before in any of the other civilisations. When ancient male monarchs are overthrown. they are merely replaced by other male monarchs. Particularly in Greece. male monarchs have been replaced by the office of the archon ( ruler/regent ) who is elected to the office with life term of office at first by virtuousness of his baronial birth. But subsequently on. the office of trustee was opened by a adult male named Solon to an one-year term of office by virtuousness of a man’s wealth. instead than baronial birth. After a few battles with some autocrats. a adult male named Cleisthenes ushered an basically pure democracy. The creative activity of wealth by trade therefore eroded the traditional authorization and kingship of Grecian swayers. This has given manner to a new category in society who chafed at familial privileges and has the agencies to marshal forces against the same governments. How can a category like this emerge? That is through the development of coined money. the 4th ground. Coinage was invented in Lydia. The Lydians were non Greeks but they worked closely with them. giving rise to wealthy metropoliss such as Miletus. one of the ancient hotbeds of doctrine. Coinage enhanced societal mobility but besides facilitated political struggles that farther degraded the traditional powers of male monarchs among Grecian metropoliss. The 5th ground why doctrine took root among the Greeks is the subject of the two old faculties: the separation between mythology and rational chases. Grecian mythologies are non merely narratives – they are a critical portion of their faith. But of all time since Thales and the other philosophers started to sabotage the credibleness of myths. Grecian faith grew steadily apart from doctrine. III. Why Grecian Doctrine – A Decision Although it can be pointed out that the causal connexion between doctrine and the above-named grounds is non direct. the correlativity between doctrine and metropoliss that have undergone dramatic alterations in their commercialism and political relations is obvious. Ionia is one of the wealthiest and most active metropoliss in Greece – and it is where doctrine has started. From Ionia ( where Thales. Anaximander. Anaximenes. Heraclitus and Xenophanes come from ) . it spread to Italy ( Pythagoras. Parmenides. Zeno ) . Sicily ( Empedocles ) . northern Aegean ( Democritus. Protagoras ) . to Ionia once more ( Melissos ) and Athens ( Socrates. Plato. Aristotle ) . The commercial democracy that developed in Greece. particularly in Athens. provided the societal and rational context where doctrine can turn. Indeed. even now. whenever we think of doctrine. we think of Greece ; and whenever we think of Greece. we think of Athens. Such is the influence of Athens in doctrine ( due to Socr ates. Plato and Aristotle ) ; and such is the influence of the Greeks in doctrine. Questions: Answers to the inquiries must be placed on a whole sheet of paper. 1. Research the economic. political and cultural state of affairs of Sparta and explicate. establishing from the above-named grounds. why doctrine did non boom at that place. ( 20 points ) 2. If doctrine by chance flourished in the Philippines in the ancient times. what do you believe is the cardinal theme/content of our doctrine? Explain. ( 20 points )