The ideas and creations that continue to be used in modern society demonstrate how inspiring the Ancient Greeks were. Greece is a series of islands, known as an archipelago that contained a number of city- states, such as Athens and Sparta, and were ruled by Ephors. Greece has a very mountainous terrain, with only 20% of arable land. Greece also has irregular coastlines that enhance their ability to trade. The contributions of classical Greece benefit Western civilization greatly because of the creation of democracy, which provides citizens with a voice, and the philosophies taught by Socrates and Aristotle, which have shaped educational practices. Also, Euclid and other Greek mathematicians advanced dramatically in geometry, allowing for improvements …show more content…
One of them, Socrates, had many beliefs including we have all the knowledge in the world in our souls and good is not good because the gods say so. He is quoted as saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living” (Document Two). He would try to explain his thoughts to his students, for example the quote, by using the Socratic Method. This teaching style is used in education today. The teacher will ask a series of questions to lead the student’s thoughts, while not having a particular “correct” answer in mind. This allows students to think for themselves. The Socratic Method influences education today and has been carried on since Socrates death for corrupting the minds of Athenian children. Another important philosopher, named Aristotle, is quoted as saying “Since human reason is the most godlike part of human nature, a life guided by human reason is superior to any other… For man, this is the life of reason, since the faculty of reason is the distinguishing characteristic of human beings” (Document Five). Aristotle believed in three souls: plant, animal, and human. He also believed in three forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy, and constitutional monarchy. However, he is most known for the system of classification (the “ologies”), which are still used by scientists today. He also wrote the first book on psychology, which is read by many people worldwide, especially in colleges or universities. Both of these philosophers made their mark on Western Civilization through different educational techniques and systems passed on throughout