Topic Question: Assignment Question: How Ancient

Greek Philosophy can be made relevant to the

contemporary life? Relatethe philosophies of
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, analyze the paper and
personal suggestions are highly incorporated.

CONTENTS

 Abstract
 Introduction to Philosophy
 Ancient Greek philosophy
 Ancient Greek Philosophers
I. Socrates
II. Plato
III. Aristotle
 Relevance to the contemporary Life
 Personal suggestions
 Conclusion
 Reference
 Abstract

The intention of this paper is to briefly sketch several of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle’s
contributions to Philosophy, and then, in more detail, Relate teachings of Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle (Ancient Greek Philosophers) to the contemporary life.. We want to explore some
aspects of their philosophies that we believe to be interesting and informative to current thinking
and practices, although in a short paper, it is only possible to sketch a few of the most important
works of the philosophers. Socrates (469-399 BC) was a veteran of the Peloponnesian War, and
master debater who spent his whole life questioning people who claimed to be knowledgeable.
Which resulted as a learning lesson for youth of that time and for future generations. He was
also Plato's teacher, known for being the founder of the first-ever Academy in Athens (The
Academy). Plato is followed by Aristotle, who studied in the academy for twenty years of his life
and was called the mind of the academy. These three philosophers shaped the philosophy in a
way that will affect the life of future generations
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focus on that idea.

Introduction to Philosophy

The expression "Philosophy" originates from the Ancient Greek (Philosophy), which actually
signifies "love of wisdom". The Philosophy is the investigation of general and principal issues ,,
for example, those associated with the real world, presence, information, values, reason, psyche,
and language. Theory is recognized from different methods of tending to such issues by its basic,
for the most part orderly methodology and its dependence on levelheaded contention.

Here are a few definitions of Philosophy of different Philosophers:

“Philosophy is thinking really hard about the most important questions and trying to bring
analytic clarity both to the questions and the answers.” ~ Marilyn Adams

Philosophy is the successful love of thinking.” ~ John Armstrong

Philosophy is 99 per cent about critical reflection on anything you care to be interested in.”
~ Richard Bradley

I don’t think it’s any one thing, but I think generally it involves being critical and reflective
about things that most people take for granted.” ~ Allen Buchanan

Philosophy is thinking as clearly as possible about the most fundamental concepts that reach
through all the disciplines.” ~ Anthony Kenny”1

Above definitions give extensive views of the Philosophy that what it actually is! And if one
closely examines the given definitions of different Philosophers one will come to the conclusion
that it focuses more importantly on critical thinking, questioning and very basic problems of the
society. One may say that critical thinking is the dawn of the philosophical mind in human
beings.

Ancient Greek Philosophy

Ancient Greek Philosophy emerged in the sixth century BC and kept going through the
Hellenistic time frame (323 BC-30 BC). Greek philosophy covers a completely colossal measure
of themes including: political way of thinking, morals, metaphysics (the investigation of the idea
of being, turning out to be, presence, or reality), rationale, science, talk, and style (part of
reasoning managing workmanship, magnificence, and taste). The Greek way of thinking is
known for its unquestionable effect on Western idea. In spite of the fact that there were Greek
savants before their separate births, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the main three worth
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concentrating on during this period.2

Ancient Greek Philosophers

Socrates:

Socrates, born in Athens in 470 BC, is known as one of the authors of Western logic.
Socrates' life is the total puzzle since anything is known about him, everything is taken from the
works of other logicians. There are no follows of his individual works in history. Works by Plato
and Aristotle contain all of the information known around this baffling figure. His biggest and
most vital commitment to reasoning is the Socratic method. The Socratic method is characterized
as a frame of request and talk between people, based on questioning and answering questions to
clarify thoughts. This strategy is performed by inquiring the address after address with the reason
of looking for to expose contradictions in one’s contemplation, directing him to reach a strong,
legitimate conclusion. The guideline basic the Socratic Method is that people learn through the
utilize of reasoning and rationale; eventually finding gaps in their possess speculations and after
that fixing them up.3

Plato:

“Plato was born in 427(?) BC born. There are different writings about the birth of plato,
but according to western political thought book by M. Judd Harmon above mentioned is the birth
date. He’s known for being the originator of the Foundation in Athens, the primary institution of
higher learning within the Western world. My favourite of Plato’s contributions to reasoning,
and the one I’m progressing to centre on, is the Theory of Forms. This hypothesis were made to
illuminate two issues, one of the morals and one of permanence and change. The moral issue is:
how can people live a satisfying life in an ever-changing world in case everything that they hold
near to them can be effortlessly taken absent? The issue managing with permanence and change
is: How can the world show up to be both lasting and changing? The world we see through
faculties appears to be continuously changing–which could be a beautiful clear perception. The
world that we see through the intellect, appears to be changeless and constant. Which world is
more genuine? Why we see two different worlds?

To discover arrangement to these issues, Plato part the world into two: the material, or physical,
or mental, domain of shapes. We have got to the domain of shapes through the intellect,
permitting us to get to constant world. This specific world is resistant to the torments and
changes of the fabric world. By segregating our souls from the fabric world and our bodies and
creating our capacity to concern ourselves with the shapes, Plato accepts this will lead to us
finding a esteem which isn't open to change. This understands the moral issue. Part presence up
into two domains moreover leads us to arrangement to the issue of permanence and change. Our
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intellect sees a distinctive world, with diverse objects, than our faculties do. It is the fabric world,
seen through the faculties, that's changing. It is the domain of forms, seen through the intellect,
that's lasting.4

Aristotle:

“Aristotle, understudy of Plato, lived from 384 BC-322 BC. At eighteen, he joined Plato’s
Foundation in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. There, he sharpened his
abilities of understanding the world. In his understanding of the world, he composed his
hypothesis of the universals–which I discover to be greatly interesting. The issue of the
universals is the address of whether properties exist, and in the event that so, what precisely are
they. To maintain a strategic distance from confusion, a universal may be a mystical term
portraying what specific things have in common, centering entirely characteristics or qualities.
His hypothesis states that universals exist as it were, where they are instantiated (the concept that
it is impossible for a property to exist which isn't had by a few protests). In less complex terms,
he accepts universals exist as it were in things, never separated from things–differing from his
instructor, Plato, on this. Aristotle accepts that a universal is indistinguishable from each of its
occurrences. All circular things are comparable in that there's the same universal, characteristic,
throughout. These three laid the foundation of Greek philosophy in a proper way, no doubt there
were the philosophers before Socrates called pre-Socrates, but the major works that affect the
contemporary life are done these three philosophers.”5

Relevance to the contemporary Life

“The Greeks laid down the establishments of Western Civilization. The conviction that
information can come from reason is thought based within the realism of Greek logic. Reason
shapes the premise advanced medicine, philosophy, science and scholarship. The Greeks too
created a framework of morals that existed exterior of a devout system. This was the premise of
the advanced secular culture that exists within the West and much of the rest of the world”. Now
the biggest question that remains is why the Greek philosophy is still being taught?. How the
culture that was present years ago can be relevant to the contemporary life? The answer to this
question can be easily drawn from the very first point that what is philosophy?. Philosophy is the
name of wisdom, philosophy is the name of critical thinking and questioning. Now these are the
capabilities which you can be found in the very first human and human of every era, because
human beings are made like that. Our ability to think makes us superior to any other creation of
Almighty Allah. As every Human has the ability to question, but the problem is one never wants
to go against his/her beliefs.

Greek Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle has played a

vital Role to teach the people of that time and GCU
gave lessons to the future generations to question

their rulers about the wrong doings and to question their beliefs among them Socrates was the
first one who set the example.

Socrates:

Socrates the real man of Athens was the first one to suggest that one should find the
answers to those questions which can ultimately benefit human kind as pre-Socratic
philosophers were all busy finding the answers of the questions related to the universe. He was in
the search of truth, virtue, justice and so on. He spent his whole life questioning the people of
Athens who claimed to be the most knowledgeable. The very famous saying “ I know one thing
that I know nothing” which was verbalized by him under court trial is still quoted every time one
talks about Socrates. He never bowed down in front of the cruel rulers of that time who claimed
him that he was distracting the youth of Athens and in result to which he was forced to drink
hemlock and the life of great philosopher came to an end. His whole life can be relevant in a
way that he taught people to question and compelled them, with knowledge and wisdom, to
question everything. Today’s generation and the future generations must learn this lesson of
critical thinking and questioning because Socrates was of the view that "The unexamined life is
not worth living."

Plato:

Plato, the father of philosophy, has played a great role and the work he did in his life is
still of the same value rather has more value than that of his time. Because whatever the work
Plato did very much relates to the contemporary life. His THEORY OF FORMS is what
everyone can still relate as the youth of that time did. Even today we know the things with their
forms that we have in mind. We can never imagine the shape of anything if we don't have its
form in our mind. Moreover, Plato's Allegory of Cave is very famous where he says that this
place is like a cave and we all are its prisoners and we believe whatever we see with our eyes like
shadows in the cave. in the cave whoever escapes finds the reality and in the real world whoever
finds his soul finds the reality comparing it to today's world one can say that this world is like a
cave and whatever is seen with our eyes we make it our belief without searing for the real truth
which lie somewhere else. His work does not end here. He wrote many of the books among
which The Republic is the most famous one. The question we are still puzzled in, Plato gave its
answers in his book Republic whose theme is based on Justice. Justice is the thing that we are
still struggling with, and Plato explained it all thousands of years ago. Plato also explained the
ideal state and democracy that we still study before going towards modern thoughts of state and
democracy. Plato is the ocean if we come to the lessons he gave to the future generations.6

Aristotle:

“It has been almost / more than 2300 years since the Aristotelian period, but still the
research and work of Aristotle remain as relevant as today and it ever was. Aristotle has not left
even a single field that he has not worked for, GCU
such as Categorical Syllogism, Physics, Biology,
Psychology, Meteorology, Ethics, Poetics, and Politics. Some of them are explained below.

Categorical Syllogism:

The rationale behind finding a thinking based on a recommendation and an deduction that has
something common with the said suggestion is beautiful clear. Its deductive effortlessness and ease of
utilize catapulted Aristotle’s hypothesis of syllogism to have an unparalleled impact on the history of
Western rationale and thinking. Be that as it may, within the post-Renaissance time driving up to the
cutting edge age, we came up with consistent approaches that were based more on scientific
conclusions (and were distant more precise) and less on the instability of non-plausible premises. That
being said, Aristotle’s consistent hypothesis of categorical syllogism attained a status that creates it
distant more than unimportant authentic interest.

Physics:

Aristotle was not only the philosopher, but he had a great scientific vision as well. In his
lifetime, whatever Aristotle stated about nature remained unchallenged for hundreds of years His
efforts in the field of physics has great relevance to the modern world. His concept of four
elements is enormous. He believed that everything is composed of four elements and those are
earth, air, water, fire. This is an undeniable fact and still very much believed in. In the same way ,
Aristotle was of the view that any change occurring in this universe is the evidence of motion,
which he defined as the actuality of potentiality. In his entire life, Aristotle comprehended
physics as a part of theoretical science that was in sync with natural philosophy. Perhaps a more
similar term to attach to Aristotle’s interpretation would be “physics” or simply the study of
nature and the study of nature is of the same importance today as that was in the time of
Aristotle.

Psychology:
 Aristotle was the primary to type in a book that managed with the specifics of brain
research: De Anima or On the Soul. In this book, he proposes the thought of reflection that rules
over the body and intellect of a human being. The body and intellect exist inside the same being
and are interwoven in such a way that the intellect is one of the numerous essential capacities of
the body. In a more point by point mental examination, he separates the human judgment skills
into two fundamental categories: the inactive judgment skills and the dynamic judgment skills.
Agreeing to Aristotle, it is in human nature to mimic something that, indeed in the event that on a
insignificant shallow level, gives us with a sense of bliss and fulfillment. Maybe the highlight of
his mental perceptions has been the fragile association that ties human brain research with human
physiology. His commitments were a monster jump forward from the pre-scientific period brain
research that went some time recently him and driven us into an age of distant more exact
subjective and quantitative examination.

Ethics:
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Aristotelian morals diagram the diverse social and behavioral ethics of a perfect man. For
illustration, the certainty one bears within the confront of fear and vanquish stacks up as strength,
the capacity to stand up to the allurements of physical joys stand out as a person’s restraint,
generosity and greatness talk of the volumes of riches one can deliver absent for the welfare of
others, and any aspiration can never be genuinely generous unless it accomplishes an immaculate
adjust between the honor it guarantees and the dues it pays. These, in conjunction with other
urgent selections, constructs the basis for Aristotle’s endeavors in morals. In this moral
substance, Aristotle accepted that “regardless of the different impacts of our guardians, society
and nature, we ourselves are the sole storytellers of our souls and their dynamic states.”7

Personal Suggestions

These are purely my personal suggestions. There is no doubt that ancient Greek philosophers
devoted their whole life looking for the answers of the questions related to the universe, beliefs,
human behavior and so on. I believe that these three philosophers have contributed a lot for the
betterment of humankind, some of them risked their lives just to give the lesson to the future
generations to learn, example of Socrates is in front of us. There are uncountable teachings that
are still in the benefit of mankind, but among them what I believe is the most important that
these philosophers taught us the way of the critical thinking and questioning. Now the question
is why do I believe that this is the most important teaching?. This is because the beginning of
every conclusion is an Idea, thought or one can say a Question which sooner or later leads us to
the conclusion. The second most important thing that I think is the search of inner
philosopher. (The paper given in class about the relevance of philosophy to contemporary
life was mostly based upon the search of inner philosopher with the help of studying
Ancient Greek Philosophy). Earlie as I said that questioning is the most important, now with
the help of that critical thinking and question habit one can look for the inner philosopher, which
he is by birth because he has the capability to think and question. If this happens then the
purpose of studying the philosophies today will be achieved.
 Conclusion

It is clearly apparent that antiquated Greek logicians have had an incredible impact on present
day thought, not as it was on the particular disciplines as we know them nowadays, but too on
our individual lives. It shows up, hence, that theirs was a period of edification, whereby the
logicians were conferred with information already unheard of. A wide ease of civilizations,
counting the western civilization, owes their root and nurturance to old Greek logic, and
rationalists such as Plato and Aristotle are still specified nowadays in about all aspects and
disciplines of life. The effect of old Greek logicians on present day thought, in this manner, is
monumental.

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Reference:

 David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton, Philosophy Bites, New York, Oxford University
Press, 2010, Chapter one.
 M.Judd Harmon, Political Thought from Plato to the present, UTAH State University,
McGraw-Hill, 1964, chapter one, page 1-28
 Brain R. Nelson, Western Political Thought, Florida International University, 1982,
Chapter one, page 5-21
 Brain R. Nelson, Western Political Thought, Florida International University, 1982,
Chapter one, page 23-50
 Brain R. Nelson, Western Political Thought, Florida International University, 1982,
Chapter one, page 51-68
 Steven Michael Perdue, The Big Three Of Greek Philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,
19th September 2014 https://sites.psu.edu/rclperdue/2014/09/19/the-big-three-of-greek-
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philosophy-socrates-plato-and-aristotle/
 Aristotle, 9th November 2009, History(web
name),https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/aristotle