Ancient Greek Philosophy

Modern world civilization is an indirect product of ancient Greek culture. Ancient Greek philosophy is the most important part of it. Relying on the most common concept, let us outline several stages through which the philosophy and culture of antiquity as a whole passed.

Stage one. The origin of philosophy, its formation. The first half of the VI century BC. E., The Asia Minor part of Hellas - Ionia, Miletus. An ancient Greek school, called the Miletus school, is being built . To her belong Anaximander, Thales, Anaximenes, their disciples.

Stage two. The maturity of philosophy, its flourishing (from the 5th to the 4th century BC), the formation of schools takes place: atomists, Pythagorean and Sophists. This stage is associated with the names of the greatest thinkers - Socrates, Aristotle, Plato.

Stage three. Ancient Greek philosophy is experiencing its sunset. The epoch of Latin philosophy and Greek. The most pronounced currents of Hellenistic philosophy are skepticism, stoicism, epicureanism.

If we single out the content of philosophical thoughts, we get the following:

• Early classics (pre-Socratics, naturalists): "Fizis", "Cosmos" and its structure;
• Classics average (Socrates with his school, naturalists);
• Classics are high (Aristotle and Plato, their schools).

What are the characteristics of ancient Greek philosophy? Ancient Greek philosophy is characterized by generalized rudiments of scientific knowledge, by observations of phenomena occurring in nature, as well as by the achievements of culture and scientific thought of the peoples of the East. For this historical type of worldview , cosmocentrism is characteristic. Nature and elements - the macrocosm, peculiar repetitions of the surrounding world, man - microcosm. This is the highest principle, which subjugates human manifestations, called destiny. In this period, mathematical and natural scientific knowledge is fruitfully developed, which, in turn, leads to a unique combination of the rudiments of scientific knowledge with aesthetic and mythological consciousness. The question is: why is philosophy in such a manifestation originated in Ancient Greece?

To the conditions conducive to becoming, in the first place, is the free thinking of the ancient Greeks, which is explained by the specific religiosity of ancient Greece: religious views here were not associated with the most severe regulation of social and individual life. The Greeks lack a caste of priests, which has such an influence in other, eastern states. Believers Ancient Greek did not ask the same conservative, vital way, as in the same East. On the contrary, there was enough room for intellectual, independent search. To find the beginning of being. It is also interesting that activity characteristic for this period is manifested, among other things, in colonial intensive settlement (beginning from the 7th century BC). In comparison with the surrounding sedentary peoples, it strikes the bright allocation of Greeks by activity, migration mobility, enterprise. They rely only on themselves, their abilities, while showing a genuine, lively interest in the world around them.

Ancient Greek philosophy, cosmocentrism

As we already know, in the VI-IV century BC. There is a rapid flowering of both philosophy and culture in general. During this time, new worldviews are created, a new vision of the world and its structure, the doctrine of the cosmos, which is the beginning of today's knowledge and discoveries. The earth (like everything on it), the stars and the heavenly vault are enclosed in a closed cosmos of spherical form, with a constant cycle: everything arises, everything flows, everything changes. But no one knows where it comes from and where it comes back. Some philosophers say that the sensible elements (fire, water, oxygen, earth and apeiron) are the basis of everything, others explain everything by mathematical atoms (the Pythagoreans), the third see the basis in the invisible, single being (eleates), the fourth consider the basis of the bases as indivisible atoms (Democritus), the fifth argue that the globe is only a shadow, the result of the embodiment of thought. Of course, all directions now seem naive and contradictory, then it did not yet come to realize that philosophy may well have different meanings. However, already V century BC. (Plato and Democritus) gives two opposing lines, clearly marked. And the struggle between these lines goes through the whole of philosophy ...