The Greek Search for Wisdom

This is an eloquent and insightful look at Greek wisdom and its lasting legacy on Western Civilisation. The philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said that all of Western philosophy was "but a series of footnotes to Plato". By the same token, one could argue that all of Western civilization is but [...]
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This is an eloquent and insightful look at Greek wisdom and its lasting legacy on Western Civilisation. The philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once said that all of Western philosophy was "but a series of footnotes to Plato". By the same token, one could argue that all of Western civilization is but an extension of the ancient Greek cultural legacy. As Michael Kellogg shows in this appreciation of our Greek intellectual heritage, it's hard to overemphasize how much the Greeks accomplished and how much we owe to them: they invented tragedy, comedy, lyric poetry, history, philosophy, and democracy. They also made remarkable advances in science, medicine, and mathematics. Kellogg looks at ten outstanding examples of Greek wisdom, offering fresh and engaging portraits of the epic poets (Homer, Hesiod); dramatists (Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes); historians (Herodotus, Thucydides); and philosophers (Plato, Aristotle) against the background of Greek history. In each case he asks what each author has to tell us - regardless of genre - about our place in the world and how we should live our lives.