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What contributions did the Ancient Greeks make to Western Civilization?
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Ancient Greece significantly contributed to Western civilization, particularly in philosophy. The Greeks pioneered rational argument and investigation to understand the world, laying the groundwork for Western thought. Socrates emphasized the importance of a contemplative life, while Aristotle established principles for natural science, advocating reasoning and observation. These contributions have deeply influenced modern scientific methods and philosophical inquiry, forming the bedrock of Western intellectual tradition.
The contributions of ancient Greece to Western civilization are numerous and varied. Indeed, it's no exaggeration to say that without the ancient Greeks there would've been no Western civilization as we know it. One of the most important contributions they made was to the study of philosophy. The Greeks were the first to understand the importance of understanding the world around us using rational argument and investigation. Although the Greeks held on to many superstitions, they still understood how important it was to use the human capacity for reason to be able to get at the truth of things.
Socrates, one of the most famous of all Greek philosophers, stated that "The unexamined life is not worth living." What he meant by this was a life devoted to contemplation, to thinking rationally about life's big questions. Later on, another great Greek philosopher named Aristotle laid the foundations for what we...
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know today as natural science. He advocated the use of reasoning and close observation in understanding nature, setting the basic standard for modern scientific method.