Great Thinkers of the Greek World

  Philosophy was a huge controversy in the ancient Greek culture. It was always debated on who was "right" and who was "wrong" when it came to matters of politics, ethics, etc. Some of the greatest philosophers during this time period were Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. When Socrates began questioning and criticizing Athens' new democratic governmental system he made many enemies. Despite the fact that he was executed for this beliefs, had he not done this we may not have the system of ethics we do today nor would we have the works of Plato, a student of Socrates teachings. Even though Socrates never wrote down his work himself, Plato knew it would be important to write it all down, so we can thank him for being able to read the incredible works of this brilliant person.

  After Socrates' death Plato gave up politics and began traveling and teaching philosophy himself. He created the Academy, one of the first institutes of higher learning. His works have had a huge influence on European history as had the works of his student, Aristotle. Aristotle was the successor of Plato, well known for his zoological and marine observations. Even though no one would listen to his observations during his time, they were eventually looked into and were proven true, such as dolphins and whales being mammals. He eventually created his own school, the Lyceum. His work in naturalism was influenced by both Socrates and Plato.

  With Socrates belief in critical thinking, Plato's theory of forms, and Aristotle's rules of logic, the world we live in today has been tremendously influenced by these great thinkers. Although they were criticized during their days, they would be happy to see what they have done for us today.