Socrates Influence On Western Civilization

The Greek philosopher Socrates once said "The unexamined life is not worth living." Without examining life, no change will ever come to people or cultures. Western Culture has developed over centuries, drawing on many archaic civilization’s qualities. Perhaps the most important influencer was that of Ancient Greece; a society that sought a balance, order, and harmony that people have emulated for thousands of years. The Greeks laid the foundations for Western Civilization with their formation of philosophy, history, democracy, and other elements that were the basis of current ideals still held to this day.
The Greek vision of humanity believed that because humans have the ability to reason, they can control the mind and master the unknown. It relates to the ancient Greek concept Sophrosyne; an ideal of excellence in character and soundness of mind. Although the term did not exist till much later, the ancient Greeks were humanists, or they had “an outlook of prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.” Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational …show more content…
Classical Greece brought us philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; and their contributions to the world will always be prevalent in societies. Socrates is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, believing that at the heart of all thinking is the psyche, or the mind and soul, which is more important than your physical body and therefore must be protected. His Socratic method, a series of questions developed to search for general truths, is still used widely in law schools today as a way to encourage students to come to a conclusion of a case through logical thought