Thinkpiece no. 2

I posted this last June 27, I thought that it was due on that day so I crammed and came up with this thinkpiece. I am posting it again, so that you won't have to scroll along my blog just to find it.

Greek Genius, Character and Way of Life
Q: What are the legacies of the Greeks?

The Greeks have contributed a lot to human civilization that they are often the topic of discussions and inquiries among scholars. Questions on how such a relative handful of people could make arts and literature, politics and other domains flourish are of great interest to those who are studying Ancient Western civilization.

It amazes me that such a group of people could produce good calibers of political thinkers, writers, dramatists, and artists. I have learned in class that such occurrence was made possible by the availability of services provided by the laborers. Fair enough, I guess. It is apparent that one could devote his or her time in practicing his or her field of interest if he is exempted in doing household chores.

It is unmistakable that the Greeks have left a lot of legacies for the enrichment of human life, both as an individual and as a member of a state. Among all their important contributions, I would have to say that democracy is the best gift they have delivered in this world. It would be adequate to call Athens the “birthplace of democracy” for it was successful in practicing the beliefs of a democratic state. Assemblies are often held to seek the interest of the public before the government makes a decision. What I deeply appreciate in the way they practice democracy, which is seemingly non-existent in the Philippine context, is that every citizen was eligible to attend the assemblies and they were also encouraged to speak up. Through this system, the voice of the people could really be heard and not only those of the ruling class.

Having an interest in literature, I consider the legacies of the Greeks in that field as valuable as their other counterparts. All Western literary forms, both prose and verse, were established and brought to a high degree of perfection by the Ancient Greeks. Their literature survived the catastrophes of late antiquity and made possible the rebirth of learning and appreciation of tradition and art. Greeks are often mentioned in the development of drama, tragedy and comedy. However, I feel that their mythology is of greater popularity. Greek mythology provides its readers with a mystifying adventure of what is deemed unreal in the present world. It is always fun to encounter characters whose divine powers is always coupled with human flaws and on the menacing side, their own creatures of the dark would always challenge one’s imagination.

The way they value education and the things derived out of this value could also be considered one of the legacies of the Greeks. Their flourishing ideas in politics, science, philosophy and the arts were also incorporated in the quality of education that they provided for the citizens especially the youth. I think that through the outstanding teachers tat they were blessed with like Plato and Aristotle, their system of education served as a good model to lay the foundation of one’s educational structure.

It is no doubt that the legacies the Greek has imparted to the humankind go beyond the knowledge they have contributed in science and medicine, the relevant political ideas and philosophies that transcend time, or the pieces of art and literature that they have created. The Greeks are also successful in showing how far a man could develop his potentials, provided that he has a good environment and passion and personal motivation. People of other lineage would be happy enough to derive inspiration from the lives of all the popular thinkers and artists that Greek civilization has produced.