The True Father Of Western Thought - 984 Words

Socrates,the philosopher from ancient Athens and arguably the true father of western thought. He is the son of a stonemason, and a midwife born around 469BC. Socrates was famously odd. In a city that made a cult of physical beauty the philosopher was disturbingly ugly. Socrates taught that beauty and goodness should be determined by usefulness and fitness of function, rather than by mere appearance or personal feelings of delight. Socrates had a pot-belly, a weird walk, swivelling eyes and hairy hands. As a youth, he showed an appetite for learning. Plato describes him eagerly acquiring the writings of the leading contemporary philosopher Anaxagoras and by Aspasia, the talented mistress of the great Athenian leader Pericles. His family apparently had the moderate wealth required to launch Socrates’ career as a hoplite (foot soldier). As an infantryman, Socrates showed great physical endurance and courage, rescuing the future Athenian leader Alcibiades during the siege of Poti daea in 432 B.C. Socrates is reported to have walked about barefoot on the icy winter ground of Thrace, dressed as he customarily was back home. In Plato s Symposium, Alcabiades claims that this irritated the other soldiers, who, bundled and muffled against the fierce winter with their feet wrapped in felt and sheepskin, thought Socrates was trying to humiliate them. Through the 420s, Socrates was deployed for several battles in the Peloponnesian War, but also spent enough time in Athens to becomeShow MoreRelatedMarriage Is A Private Affair By Chinua Achebe1225 Words   |  5 Pagesmodern western values. Without a doubt, most people would agree that life is a painful mixture of good and bad. This is not only true in friendship, family, work and religion; but is also true in marriage. This is apparent in this story as Okeke vehemently refuses to give consent to Nnaemeka’s decision to marry a woman that speaks a different tongue. This can be difficult and emotionally painful i f the antagonist happens to be a parent or a loved one. But the message of Achebe is clear: true love canRead MoreEssay about The Conflicted Japan of Yukio Mishima’s Spring Snow1643 Words   |  7 Pagesstudied Western art and literature avidly. The influence is evident, from the decidedly 19th Century British feel of his novel, Spring Snow, to the many references therein to Western art, literature, film, and philosophy. Mishima was not the only Japanese citizen to feel their country was in danger of becoming too Westernized, and his novels reflect the conflicted state of Japan’s national consciousness during the Meiji era. Before the Meiji Restoration the idea of blending Japanese and Western cultureRead MoreThe Constitution And The Articles Of Confederation953 Words   |  4 Pagesconstitution of the founding fathers creating and signing the constitution. This is a large piece of history which because of them, the constitution and the articles of confederation are what make makes America what it is today, unified. The major learning theme of this video is to understanding what and how these states came together, taxation, laws, and the people behind it. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison to name a few are the unique founding fathers who helped make America theRead MorePhysician and Hippocratic Corpus Hippocrates820 Words   |  4 PagesHippocrates’ Influence and the True Authors of the Hippocratic Corpus Hippocrates is most commonly known as â€Å"the father of western medicine.† Because he lived so long ago, it is not exactly clear when he was born and when he died. The best estimates are that he was born around 460 BCE and died around 370 BCE. He lived during the Greek Golden Age, which had influence on his prosperity in medicine. It is believed that he was born on the Island of Cos, where he later taught medicine. During Hippocrates’Read MoreA Critique of Tess Onwuemes Tell It to Women1023 Words   |  5 Pagesplay Tell It To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whetherRead MoreMy Father Writes His Story1307 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"My Father Writes His Story† â€Å"Western† and â€Å"Eastern† countries differ in many different ways. They both have their own history, culture and traditions. They also differ by how â€Å"Western† and â€Å"Eastern† people present themselves and tell stories about themselves. Me, being from a Western country, one of the values being very important to me is my heritage. I enjoy letting others know, where I was born and raised, because it makes me proud and it makes me â€Å"different† from the rest. Telling people whereRead MoreThe Grand Inquisitor in Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky1211 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Eastern versus Western ideas are constantly being introduced and in turn debated, sometimes violently. This being the case, it would be uncharacteristic of Dostoevsky to include such an extensive account, The Grand Inquisitor, against Christ and there not to be an East versus West theme. Eastern versus Western may be understood as Orthodox versus Roman Catholic although it is not to be restricted only within the scope of religious debates. TheRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1094 Words   |  5 Pages Western views of African culture have often been those of disdain. Some books about Africa have set out to change the typical Western views of African culture, but others have upheld these negative views of African culture. Through each of their novels, Alan Paton, Chinua Achebe, and Joseph Conrad approach the topic of African culture and Western views on it differently. Chinua Achebe shows through his book, Things Fall Apart, that he is disapproving of Western views towards African culture. ThisRead MoreSocrates Philosophy Analysis721 Words   |  3 PagesSocrates is one of the three greatest philosophers of Greek classical thought. helped to provide the foundations of Western thought. A number of issues concerning his beliefs remain controversial, and there is still doubt about the reasons for his death and whether he could or should have sought to escape his fate. Socrates dealt with living in poverty, he overcame poverty. He didnt let poverty get to him. , when he was arrested by the state on charges of corrupting the youth of Athens and not worshippingRead MoreA Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother1194 Words   |  5 Pagesoverpowered with her heavy criticism of the â€Å"Western parents†, referring to typical American parents. She also fails to convey the multitude of problems this style can cause. Chua is biased toward the â€Å"Chinese M other† parenting style because of her personal experiences, thus her arrogance makes her ignorant to the detrimental effects of this style and is unappealing to her audience. In the excerpt, Chua focuses on the differing parenting techniques of Chinese and Western parents. She concludes that a contrast