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The influences of Greek culture on Western Civilisation
The influences that Greek culture has had on Western Civilisation
The influences of Greek culture on Western Civilisation
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Most people in today western society think that their ancestors made up their current cultures and traditions by themselves. Unfortunately for them, they were incorrect. Most of western societies are based upon Greek culture and ideas that were passed down to the Romans, to Europe, and then to Americas. The people in western society would still be sharing the same characteristics with the ancient world. “There is no doubt that Greece has been the largest single source of the elements that compose modern European civilization” (Martin Bernal). One of the important aspects that made Greek ideas so appealing was the idea that humans were able to reason. This is one of the highest values of what any human could ascribe to. The definition of reason was that a person should ask questions, and then use a system of thinking and activities to find physical answers and then know what they are meant or indicated. Now, in this modern society, this process is known as the scientific method. From this, this system should lead to more questions and should never be answered by supernatural explanations. This was also the beginning of a revolt against the Greek religion. It led to the idea of liberalism. This means that it is a very optimistic belief in human potential. They believed that humans had capacity of improvement. For instance, if you believe in liberalism, you could understand and control natural and human forces. They believed that if you could control things, then you should be able to govern yourselves. This so-called ability to reason makes them capable of self-government. The Europeans readily accepted this and other important ideas of that time. They also felt individualism, in that all rights and privileges were relative to thems... ... middle of paper ... ...unished or rewarded for your own doing. They also developed the idea that humans are equal except for their innate traits. “To the extent that Western Civilization can be said to have an origin, it is the Ancient Greeks that have claim to it” (Paul V. Hartman). The ancient Greeks developed a great deal of what we take for granted and in fact, we would be a completely different society if they had not existed. This is why Greece is often known as the Cradle of Western Civilization. Works Cited - http://www.lexisnexis.com.portal.lib.fit.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=8422&sr=lni%284JMJ-H360-TX1M-R2SG%29 - http://www.naciente.com/essay46.htm - http://www.ancientgreece.com/essay/v/greek_achievements/ - http://www.helium.com/items/1051575-understanding-ancient-greek-architecture - http://www.helium.com/items/1657910-greek-influence-in-modern-architecture