Ancient Greece: Why It Matters

Understanding the enduring contributions of the Greeks to Western Civilization.

Studying the Greeks is more than just a pastime. Ancient Greece has a lot to teach us about politics, government, philosophy, and the human experience. 

The Greeks represent the very foundation of Western civilization. Their unique culture pioneered many traditions, which are still in use today. Before them, most societies were theocratic monarchies with little to no individual rights. Government was rooted in religion; it was based on revelation, tradition, and authority. That all changed with the glorious rise of Athens, which gave birth to the most enduring and noble aspects of modern democratic states. 

The Greeks pioneered a number of political institutions and cultural ideas, which forever shaped the trajectory of Western civilization. 

Democracy and civic life

The first and most obvious contribution of Greece is the idea of democracy. The word itself comes from the Greek demokratia, meaning “rule by the people” 

The ancient city-states of Greece were representative forms of government. Wealth was distributed more evenly across the population. There were no kings, who could hire mercenaries to repress the people. The citizens, small in number, had the right and duty to defend themselves. 

The word politics comes from the Greek polis. The Greeks created the very idea of a public sphere, where individual citizens had the right and duty to shape and influence their society. 

Political life was highly valued by the Greeks. There was little need for bloated bureaucracy, which had been used by the old monarchies. Nor was there much economic surplus to support a parasitic bureaucratic class. 

The Greeks rejected monarchy, in all of its pernicious forms. They thought a human being, in order to flourish, must live as a free man in an autonomous society, ruled by laws and the consent of the governed. They rejected the notion of arbitrary law, be it divine or human. 

Humanism

The Greeks deeply believed in the potential of human beings. They saw humans in general—and themselves in particular—as especially connected to the divine. But they also understood the limitations on human greatness, the greatest of which is mortality. 

Classical Greek civilization had a tragic understanding of the human condition. The Temple of Delphi said “Nothing in excess” and “Know thyself,” thus promoting self-knowledge and exploration. To the Greek mind, the role of government was to create virtuous and enlightened citizens. 

Aristotle, in his Politics, described man as the best of the animals, guided by justice and reason. But the philosopher was also keenly aware of the innate savagery and vice of human beings. He believed that only a just society, ruled by independent and free men, could fully actualize human potential. 

Secular philosophy 

There was no separate caste of priests. The Greeks were largely secular, focused on the affairs of this life. They developed a new form of natural philosophy, which based itself on observation and reason. This was a sharp departure from the traditionalist mythologizing, taught by poets and priests, which were common in the ancient world. Modern natural science and philosophy owes its very existence to ancient Greece.

For the Greeks, reason was a way of investigating the natural world. Unlike mysticism, scientific theories require accurate observation of the world. Such secular knowledge requires peer-review and the critiques of other people. Greek rationalism became highly influential on the development and advances of subsequent Western thought. 

Legacy today

Westernization is not inevitable. The advances made by the West came as a result of a unique history, where chance and accident played a non-trivial part. By studying the Greeks, we can learn the lessons of the West, and apply them to other parts of the world that are seeking modernity.