The Ancient Greek Civilization - 1781 Words

Kyle Wolfe HUM 102 Athens, during the height of the Ancient Greek civilization, is often considered the birthplace of Western Philosophy. During this time period, one of the most famous Greek philosophers, Plato, engaged in debates with other philosophers about the nature of morality. His debates with the Sophists became heated on the matter of relativism and will be the focus of this paper. Relativism promotes the idea that each society or individual determines what is moral or â€Å"right† for that individual or society. To relativists, each society or individual gets to decide the best course of moral action for themselves; and therefore cannot be judged by the same moral standard as another society or individual: these morals are relative†¦show more content†¦I think we see evidence of these concepts incorporated in folk tales, legends, epic poems, songs, stories, and works of art across cultures and throughout time. Many times, these tales and works pit â€Å"good† against à ¢â‚¬Å"unjust†; and if there were no universal ideas about what constitutes Good and Justice, how are these ideas so widespread and enmeshed in cultures throughout time and around the world? As a virtue, justice is considered by Plato to be the most important. He believes that â€Å"there is both an objectively correct answer to questions like â€Å"What is justice?† and objectively correct beliefs about which sorts of personality, institutions, and actions are just† (Denise, White, Peterfreund, 2008, p. 9). Justice, he proposes, results in happiness, and both individuals and societies that are more just are therefore happier. He defines justice as a balance amongst one’s desires maintained by using reason. If we can use reason to balance our desire/appetite for personal wealth with the knowledge that working for our money can bring about satisfaction and benefit to others while greed, lying, or theft to obtain money is wrong, we will be acting justly and therefore will be happier. Plato also believed that the soul is made up of three basic parts including reason, spirit/passion, and appetite/desire. To engage in moral behavior, individuals need to balance all three of these parts. Reason can help us achieve the virtue of wisdom, controlling our desires will leadShow MoreRelatedThe Ancient Greek Of Greek Civilization968 Words   |  4 PagesThe ancient Greeks were unique and had a one of a kind culture which would heavily influence the Western world. Their literature would bring forth works that intertwined religious, philosophical, mythological, and political all in one. 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