Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment

During the Greek Golden Age, art and philosophy expressed

hellenic "weltanschauung", their unique outlook on the world and

way of life. Through the works of artists, playwrights, and

philosophers, one can see both sides of the conflicted systems of

the world, such as; good vs. evil, order vs. chaos, stability vs.

flux, relativism vs. absolutism and balance and harmony.

The Greeks were materialists. They adopted the philosophical

doctrine which says that physical matter is the only reality in the

universe; everything else, including thought, feeling, mind and

will can be explained in terms of physical laws. Their materialism

was expressed in an excessive regard for worldly, beautiful

material things and concerns. They used their art to show the

glories of humanity and man. The sculptors of the Golden Age aimed

to create graceful, strong and perfectly formed figures. Their art

showed natural positions and thoughtful expressions rather than

abstract art forms. Their standards of order and balance became

standards for classical art in western civilization.

The Greeks were proud of their temples and other architecture,

made to honor the gods and beautify the polis (city-state). Their

famous architectural styles were the heavy Doric columns and the

slender scrolled Ionian columns. The Parthenon, the Greek temple

for the goddess Athena, is a impeccable example of symmetry and

proportion. The sides of the Parthenon give an optical illusion of

perfect balance on all sides. Their desire for balance in art and

architecture represents the balance of the world; order and

moderation are expressed in the simplicity of lines and shapes.

The resulting overall structure works together to achieve harmony.

In ancient Greece, public drama was more than entertainment.

It was a form of public education. It dealt with issues of

importance to the people, such as; the authority of the leaders,

the power of the people, questions of justice, morality, wars,

peace, the duties of the gods, family life and city living.

Aeschylus wrote about the furies and how they punished man for

wrongdoings. This shows that he believed that chaos would be

punished because order (and law) is the ideal state.