Understanding Justice and Wisdom in Ancient Greece

Key Concepts

Justice: Philosophers have long debated the nature of justice and its implications in society.
Difference Between Right and Wrong: Important moral questions that philosophers like Socrates tackled.
Education of the Young: Ancient Greeks believed in teaching wisdom and virtue to the younger generation.

The term philosopher comes from the Greek word philosophos, meaning "lover of wisdom".
Philosophy is considered one of the significant legacies of ancient Greek civilization.

Socrates: A prominent philosopher known for his statement "the unexamined life is not worth living".
- Lived in Athens during the 5th century BC.
- Engaged in dialogues on the streets, challenging people's beliefs.
Introduced the Socratic Method: A form of cooperative argumentative dialogue stimulating critical thinking.
Made numerous enemies due to his questioning nature and was eventually put on trial in 399 BC for corrupting the youth.
- Refused offers of freedom in exchange for silence, leading to his execution via poison (hemlock).

Plato: Socrates's most famous student, who chronicled Socratic dialogues in over 20 works, including The Republic.
- Lived during the Golden Age of Athens (around 428 BC).
- Witnessed the Peloponnesian War and sought a better way of living.
In The Republic, Plato envisioned a utopia with:
- A structured society where everyone is assigned a job and social rank for life.
- Governance by philosopher-kings to prevent war.
- Restrictions on children's exposure to stories that portray flawed heroes or immoral gods (Homer's Iliad and Odyssey).

Plato founded the Academy, an institution for higher learning.
- Aristotle was one of its most notable students, later becoming the tutor of Alexander the Great.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the works of Greek philosophers were preserved by Islamic scholars who translated texts into Arabic.
These translations circulated through regions such as Egypt, India, Persia, and Spain, eventually reappearing in Europe.

Aristotle: Another central figure in philosophy, noted that philosophy begins in wonder.
The fundamental questions regarding wisdom and justice posed by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle remain relevant and continue to provoke thought today.