Western Civilization I Getting to Rome Western Civilization I

Plato Student of Socrates Witnessed the execution of Socrates Developed a hatred for Athenian democracy and a profound distrust of ordinary people’s ability to tell right from wrong Urged for political government based on the leadership of educated and elite philosopher rulers In 387 BC he opened a school to provide Athenian youth with what he considered to be knowledge of what was true and good for the individual and the state

Platonic Teaching True knowledge impossible as long as it focuses on the constantly changing, imperfect world of everyday experience Comes from that which is eternal, perfect, and beyond the experience of the senses (Platonic forms) When people judge that individuals or actions are true or good or beautiful, they do so not because those particular persons or events are truly virtuous, but because they recognize that they participate in some way in the Idea ,or Form, of truth or goodness or beauty. Evil results from ignorance of the truth

Aristotle Student of Plato Empiricism Government Beliefs and conclusions based on observation and logical thinking Government Composed of citizens who were neither extremely wealthy nor extremely poor Moderation is key to stability and justice

The Rise of Macedon Peloponnesian Wars left a power vacuum in Greece Philip of Macedon Murdered his way to the throne 338 BC- established the League of Corinth (monarchy) Planned a campaign to conquer Persia as a punishment for attacking Greece 150 years earlier By age 46 he was assassinated

Alexander the Great Student of Aristotle Leadership 334-331 BC Military genius Valued the lives of his troops over his own 334-331 BC Captured the Greek cities of Asia Minor Defeated king Darius III Captured the Persian capital, Persepolis, giving him the title of ruler of the empire Need to conquer the whole world Died in 323 BC at age 32

Hellenization Alexander’s conquests transformed the political map of southern Europe, western Asia, and Egyptian Africa Brought Greek traditions of urban organization, and replaced indigenous ruling elites with Hellenized dynasties Alexander’s successors never developed the interest or ability to integrate this Greek culture and the more ancient indigenous cultures of their subjects. This failure would lead to disruption and the fall of the Hellenistic kingdoms