Philosophical Views of Ancient Athens

This assignment delves into the philosophical landscape of Athens during its Golden Age. It examines the views of Pre-Socratic philosophers like Thales, Leucippus, and Democritus, their contributions to metaphysics and atomism. The analysis also encompasses the Sophists, particularly Protagoras, and his theories on relativism and skepticism. Furthermore, the assignment explores Plato's concept of an ideal state and his perspectives on arts, music, and sexuality.

Running head: PHILOSOPHIC WORLDVIEW OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF ATHENS
PHILOSOPHIC WORLDVIEW OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF ATHENS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1PHILOSOPHIC WORLDVIEW OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF ATHENS
Question 1.
The Western intellectuals preceding Socrates and belonging to the c. 469- c. to 399 BCE
are termed as Pre-Socratic philosophers. However, there are some intellectuals like Protagoras
(c. 490-c. 420 B.C.E) who are roughly contemporary with Socrates (Sayre). According to them,
the term “Philosophy” denotes somewhat anachronistic and is undoubtedly different from the
contemporary view of the term.
Thales of Miletus, an ancient Greek philosopher had an immense influence on the
philosophical views of Aristotle who considered Thales as his primary source of scientific and
philosophic views. The “father of philosophy” Thales who for the first time discovered the
metaphysical views in the Western tradition said that metaphysical reality is the nullification of
all natural and real concerns and it lies far beyond the world of appearances and reality (Sayre).
Thales proposed in his view of the metaphysics that it is the “water” that has the potentiality to
nourish generation after generation and certainly the cosmos itself is nurtured by evaporation of
the waters.
Leucippus was the creator of Atomism and he was the first philosopher who confidently
affirmed that there would be no motion if there is no space and there exists empty space in
whatever people do.
Democritus, born at Abdera was from a noble family who was immensely influenced by
some Magi that his father gave him at a young age and these Magi helped him to further work on
the theory of Leucippus. He ultimately discovered his own theory of ad infinitum, the
unfeasibility of dividing things (Sayre). He also stated that all motions are the resultant of active
and passive motion.

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Question 2.
Protagoras of Abdera known as the older Sophists, was one of the Greek thinkers who
was skilled in rhetoric and is primarily known for three theories- that man is the measure of all
things known as radical Relativism, that man could make the “worse (or weaker) quarrel appear
the better or stronger and that one could not tell if there is existence of God or not. The term
“Sophists” were applied mainly to people who were acknowledged for their knowledge and their
teachings (Meier). The term “Skepticism” according to the view of ancient Greek philosophers
implies the doubts in gaining ultimate knowledge of the world. The commitment of the skeptics
towards epistemic is limited.
Question 3.
In view of Plato, an ideal state must contain four fundamental virtues that are-wisdom,
courage, discipline and justice. After the death of Plato, Socrates provided a long and intricate
unified argument in terms of political communities with individual person or soul.
Question 4.
Plato like all the other ancient philosophers maintained an asset based eudemonistic
conception of arts, music, sexuality and the impact of these in human life. In his view, the
philosophy of music influences the value of arts and that music is particularly suited to express
emotion that represents arts (Meier). The philosophy of sexuality in terms of Plato is often called
“Symposium” that defines beauty, impersonation and inspiration.

3PHILOSOPHIC WORLDVIEW OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF ATHENS
Reference
Meier, Christian. Athens: A portrait of the city in its golden age. Metropolitan Books, 2015.
Sayre, Henry M. Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change, The. Vol. 2. Pearson Higher Ed,
2014.