Chapter 1 - Ancient Greece
28 May 585 BCE - Thales predicts solar eclipse
Before: Homer and the Poets
• Myths
• Poets were seen as historians, scientists, theologians, educators and astronomers
• Shaped Greek worldview
• Explained events and origin of the universe
• Followed moral guidelines relating to honour and status
• Served religious function
• Inspired by Muses (goddesses of art and literature)
Myths
• " attempt to explain the unfamiliar and the mysterious in terms of what is familiar and
observable"
• Primary model for the Greeks - human beings' motivations and actions
• Greek gods are human
• Events were attributed to the anger or goodwill of the gods
World according to Homer
1. Events in the world are caused by Gods ( they are fickle and impulsive) - also element of
randomness in world, which means that there are some occurrences that we can never
explain (fate)
2. Humans and gods subject to fate - unyielding; amoral order which we cannot escape
3. Virtue = values of warrior heroes (and the gods) = "excellence" was the ultimate virtue and
entailed success, honour, power, wealth and moderation and security
4. Unclear about an objective moral order/justice (gods were usually only interested in their
own best interest, except for Zeus on occasion)
• The gods did not demand moral goodness, rather reverence - they could also be flattered
and bribed and people obeyed them out of fear
• Only exception is Zeus who sometimes got angry when people behaved immorally
• This exception will eventually be developed into the idea of an impersonal, universal and
moral order
Conflicts within Homer's worldview
1. Some events are caused by purposeful, but capricious gods ( and sometimes even humans)
2. Both humans and the gods are subject to fate/ but sometimes the gods denounce humans
for not acting morally (Zeus)
• Leads to the start of Greek philosophy and science
• The idea of "fate" later led to the idea of natural laws that are independent of the will of
any agent (divine or human)
New way of thinking
• From mythology, philosophy grows (6th century BCE)
• E.g Thales realises solar eclipse = regular, natural process - predictable and generalizable
• Hence, he is seen as the founder of the school of natural philosophy and Greek Astronomy
• He was probably influenced by the mathematics of the Egyptians and the astronomy of
Babylonians
• Birth of science and philosophy a we know it today - conclusions stand or fall on their
merits
Philosophy 122 Page 1
28 May 585 BCE - Thales predicts solar eclipse
Before: Homer and the Poets
• Myths
• Poets were seen as historians, scientists, theologians, educators and astronomers
• Shaped Greek worldview
• Explained events and origin of the universe
• Followed moral guidelines relating to honour and status
• Served religious function
• Inspired by Muses (goddesses of art and literature)
Myths
• " attempt to explain the unfamiliar and the mysterious in terms of what is familiar and
observable"
• Primary model for the Greeks - human beings' motivations and actions
• Greek gods are human
• Events were attributed to the anger or goodwill of the gods
World according to Homer
1. Events in the world are caused by Gods ( they are fickle and impulsive) - also element of
randomness in world, which means that there are some occurrences that we can never
explain (fate)
2. Humans and gods subject to fate - unyielding; amoral order which we cannot escape
3. Virtue = values of warrior heroes (and the gods) = "excellence" was the ultimate virtue and
entailed success, honour, power, wealth and moderation and security
4. Unclear about an objective moral order/justice (gods were usually only interested in their
own best interest, except for Zeus on occasion)
• The gods did not demand moral goodness, rather reverence - they could also be flattered
and bribed and people obeyed them out of fear
• Only exception is Zeus who sometimes got angry when people behaved immorally
• This exception will eventually be developed into the idea of an impersonal, universal and
moral order
Conflicts within Homer's worldview
1. Some events are caused by purposeful, but capricious gods ( and sometimes even humans)
2. Both humans and the gods are subject to fate/ but sometimes the gods denounce humans
for not acting morally (Zeus)
• Leads to the start of Greek philosophy and science
• The idea of "fate" later led to the idea of natural laws that are independent of the will of
any agent (divine or human)
New way of thinking
• From mythology, philosophy grows (6th century BCE)
• E.g Thales realises solar eclipse = regular, natural process - predictable and generalizable
• Hence, he is seen as the founder of the school of natural philosophy and Greek Astronomy
• He was probably influenced by the mathematics of the Egyptians and the astronomy of
Babylonians
• Birth of science and philosophy a we know it today - conclusions stand or fall on their
merits
Philosophy 122 Page 1
