In the 6th century B. C, there began a dualism in Greek Philosophy. The development of Greek Philosophy became a compromise between Greek monistic and oriental influences, in other words, a combination of intellectualism and mysticism. Thus began the pre-Socratic philosophy. The interests of pre- Socratic philosophers were centered on the world that surrounds man, the Cosmos. This was during the time of great internal and external disturbances in the Greek society, as it was right after the Peloponnesian war.
The pre-Socratic era of Greek Philosophy came to an end when the Sophists turned their attention o man himself, delving into the moral and mental nature of man and dealing with the practical problems of life. The ancient Greeks mirrored their nature, beliefs, morals and customs in Greek Philosophy. Through understanding Greek Philosophy, we can see how the ancient Greeks regard the world around them. Greek Philosophy filled the void in the spiritual and moral life of the ancient Greeks, where in the same place other cultures had their belief in a religion.
Wisdom, in the Greek sense, included not only a theoretical explanation of the world around them, but also rovided a practical guide to life. From Homer to Hesiod, we see the reflections of the ancient Greeks and their use of Gods to fulfill their spiritual, social and psychological needs. A lot of temples were erected for Greek deities, and the ancient Greeks worshipped Gods to avert calamities, to secure the success of a certain harvest, or as thanksgiving for success in battle or deliverance in wants and wishes.
Homeric songs tells stories of how man realizes that all events are governed by natural laws. In the Homeric world, fantastic beliefs and superstitions governed one mportant aspect of the ancient Greeks– immutable fate. Homeric poems reflect the occasional doubts of the ancient Greeks in prophecy, and the observation about the shortness of life, and the suffering of earthly existence. The great epic writer Hesiod’s philosophy of life rests on the idea of the deterioration of mankind.
Hesiod’s perspective runs along the idea that according to the will of Zeus, the human world is governed by justice and the animal world is governed by might. Hesiod reflects a society then that were seeking the truth and searching for the morality guidelines. And the human conduct of the ancients Greeks of the time were very much intertwined with the behavior of Nature, for example, if they were morally good, they would be blessed and rewarded with bountiful harvests.
However, on the other end of the continuum, when a sin has been committed, such as the unconscious incest of Oedipus, all Nature is affected by the offense of man. During the period of the Dorian migration, the ancient Greeks were extending their territorial possessions to a greater extent. This brought about a lot of different morals and customs changes due to social and political hanges. All this is reflected in the poetry, philosophies and writings of that era. Passion and feeling was more eminent now, and the attitude of the ancient Greeks towards nature was no longer observational and descriptive but emotional.
The ancient Greeks are becoming more conscious of individualism and one’s own strength and significance. The increase in property and material goods in the Greek society intensified the deep feeling in the ancient Greeks that earthly things are transient and a lot of them started to look at a more superterrestial support hat would assure them security and permanence amidst all the changes in mortal things. The ancient Greeks were also more possessed by an innate immense religious fear, the fear of sinning or omission against any gods.
A lot of them felt the necessity for atonement and purification. During this time came the advent of cleansing rituals, an example being the purification of Athens by Epimenides after the defilement of the city by Cylon. Epimenides and many similar holy people of his time would go into trances that would provide him with divine revelations. Epimenides was considered very lose to the gods, due to a mode of life made holy by asceticism. Prophets and priests like Bacides and Sibyls reflect the need of the ancient Greeks for atonement.
These prophets and priests were called upon to perform purification rites and prophetic trances. Spirit conjuring became a common practice, too. With Socrates and Socratic philosophy, the sophists and many philosophers moved away from the physics’ of Nature and concentrated on man’s correct conduct of life. Great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle were the important influences that would shape Western thought and culture. They sought o unravel the intellectual limitations of man and the need to find answers to ethical questions.
Side by side with this, spawned the Hellenistic Philosophy, which served to explain the change in world conditions at that time when the Greek Polis was destroyed. Inspite of all the Greek philosophers that sought for intellectual wisdom, the fantastic myths and gods of the ancient Greeks still survive and prevail. However, the Greek philosophers made a great effort to obtain a dichotomy between myth and logic. The efforts of these philosophers would prove to be of great influence in modern Western tradition and rationalism.
