From their government to their beliefs on creation, the Greek’s influence in Western Civilization cannot be understated. Sometimes earlier Greek philosophers are overshadowed by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. However, that doesn’t negate their prominence in Greek culture and Western Civilization as a whole. 

The Greeks loved two things: reason and asking questions. Greek philosophers often pondered and discussed the meaning of life and existence. This is reflected in their institutions: religion, literature, government, and the Olympics. These institutions were often intertwined with each other. For example, the Olympics were not just a show of one’s strength and athletic ability, but it was also a religious event, including sacrifices to Zeus and other gods. The Olympics also represented the Greeks’ rugged individualism. All of the games were one-man competitions, with no team events. This individualism is too shown in their government. Being one of the first ever democracies, the city-state of Athens created the basis for a type of government that is still used in many nations today. 

When one thinks of ancient Greek philosophers, people imagine men like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, although there were philosophers that predated these men and are just as important. These pre-Socratic thinkers mostly discussed matters of the foundation and cause of life. 

Thales of Miletus was of the belief that water was the cause of all things and that the Earth is a discus floating on water. Even though this sounds ridiculous, he was able to correctly predict eclipses and explain them factually. Later a man named Anaximander challenged Thales’ views. He taught that no physical thing could be the source for everything because that would mean that thing would have to be the source of its opposite. For example, water would have to be the source for fire, which he thought to be impossible. Anaximander believed the cause of everything was something he called the “unbounded” or the “limitless.” The Sophists came along later, teaching that all laws are mere convention, agreed upon arbitrarily. In saying this, they had effectively rejected the idea of morality and embraced the idea of subjective truth. Subscribing heavily to inherited morality, the Sophists would later be vehemently opposed by Socrates. 

Not all the pre-Socratic philosophers’ teachings were correct. However, it’s still vital to study and understand what they taught. Socrates and Plato would later oppose many of these early philosophers, so you must listen to the arguments for and against their beliefs. These teachers also influenced stances of religion, government, and sports, the impact of which can still be felt to this day.