Running Head: REVOLUTION TIMES

Revolution Times
Marisa Rodriguez
Salt Lake Community College

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Marisa Rodriguez
PHIL 1000
Professor Israelsen
December 5, 2016
Revolution Times
In Ancient Greece the world was thought of as a tragic world that is
hard to explain and understand, one where knowledge is impossible. Like
Heraclitus states Men have talked about the world without paying attention
to the world or to their own minds as if they were asleep or absentminded
(Heraclitus, pg.58). Four great philosophers came out of this era because
they were not afraid to question life and its ultimate meaning. In Ancient
Athens, life was questioned by Xenophanes and his concern of the physical
world, Parmenides who challenged the physical systems, Socrates who came up
with the Socratic method of basically question and answer, and Plato who had

achieved forms. All sought to challenge the old way of Athens.

First off lets start with Xenophanes who tried to challenge the idea
that knowledge is divine and mortals are ultimately miserable. Ancient
Athens and its people in it thought of knowledge as impossible and
something not worth the effort. Xenophanes on the other hand believed that
knowledge is possible and we can obtain and learn so much if we just have
the courage to pursue it. Xenophanes believed that the Gods commonly

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worshipped are not real and there is only one God. His explanation of ideas
were more logical rather than implausible. For example, having one blame
Zeus for a storm that was created because they made him mad.
Secondly, lets examine Parmenides and his challenge on the physical
world because he thinks life is an illusion. His theory he came up with
explains that being is one and the rest is just an illusion. What helped his
statement and beliefs is he argued that there are ultimately only two routes
of inquiry for the truth. One, there is what is, or what exist and second, what
is not, or what does not exists. So for what doesnt exists, there cannot be
being, because it does not exists.
Thirdly, there is Socrates. He is like the god father of philosophy who
never wrote anything but his work showed up through his two students he
influenced: Plato and Aristotle. Socrates was a teacher of virtue and
goodness. Although he was put to death for disrupting the youth he was an
influential person even if he was a ignorant person. Socrates always insisted
I neither know nor think that I know (Socrates pg.103), and for that he was
considered a truth seeker and wise man. His view was that we cannot just go
on mere opinion, because people think they know when really they do not.
He sought ideas like justice, virtue, goodness and beauty by the use of the
Socratic Method. He would use this question and answer technique to draw
truth out of people to help define a term or concept. Although, by doing this
to his fellow citizens it made them feel frustrated, humiliated and confused.

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Lastly, lets discuss Plato who was forever indebted to Socrates. His
ultimate goal was to find out what is real. He did this by the use of his theory
of forms. Plato had many forms but one that stands out the most is the
form of piety. One has to take in to consideration the shape, appearance
and the meaning of the way it looks. Plato thinks that being is said to be in
many ways. For example, in trees, humans, hot and purple. These are just a
few examples but they give proof that there are many forms and not just one
kind. His claims that ideas are real is saying that ideas are really what is real.
Because for example if you take a dog, one has to look carefully at the fact
that there are many dogs. There is not just one dog that started off, there are
types of dogs but for dog itself there is no true distinction of just plain dog.
This abstraction was used to help Plato discuss that ideas make things,
objects and beings real.
Overall these four great philosophers helped jump start our beliefs in
questioning life and finding a explanation, with the help of their ideas,
theories and discoveries.

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Work Cited
Soccio, D.J. (2001). Archetypes of Wisdom: An introduction to
philosophy. Australia: Wadsworth.