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Ancient social thought
The changes in the social conditions of the ancient world and the development of philosophical studies.
The first sources of sociology and social thought can be located in ancient philosophy. Some of the most significant thought begins in the anthropology period when philosophers shift their view towards man. This is especially the case with the sophists. Ancient social thought, and especially philsophy is the beginning of an indeterminate research of man’s world and his surroundings. In some philosophical system we can trace the root of many questions which enter the subject of modern sociology. Human thought of the social community, man himself - begins in the time of ancient Greek culture although it has been preceded by many older civilizations .
In that time the dominant subjects taking into consideration man and society in Greek philosophy were the relation between man as a unit and the social group or community to which he belongs (the phenomena of politics), regulatory institutions such as the state and the ruling regime, family, law, norms with which the life in the group or community is made possible, ownership, certain aspects of classes etc.
Sophists
They appear in the 14th and 15th century as traveling philosophers. They were in fact the first philosophers charging fees for their services. The name in greek is believed to have been given to mean “wise men”.
They trained people in the ways of debating and showed them which arguments to use in public debates. The sophists attacked a big part traditional relations in society with which they became especially popular amongst the youth.
The sophistic movement had a big success in promoting democracy. It provided the education promoting success in public life. All sophists offered training rhetorics and the art of speech. For which it is believed the made a big contribution in the advancement of oratory. In modern times some are of the thought that was in fact the sophists’ only goal. But the range of subject which the sophists handled makes us believe this was not the case, and even were the success in this direction their primary goal, the ways which they used were with certainty as much as directly as indirectly involved with the teaching of other skills, because the students were trained not only in the art of speechmaking, but in grammar as well; in the nature of virtue and the basics of morality; in the history of society and arts; in poetry, music, and arts; and in astronomy and physical science as well. Of course the main focus differed from one person to the next, and some offered larger study matter than others. But this was an individual matter, and the attempts of previous historians of philosophy to split the sophistic movement into periods into which the nature of the training shifted are now considered unfounded. The sophists promoted a way of higher education which in its range and method with the modern humanistic approach reincarnated during renaissance.
Hellenic-roman social thought
The philosophies of Plato and Aristotle were limited because in their time Greeks only thought within the boundaries of the city-state. Aristotles’s Student Alexander III conquered the Greek cities and integrated them inside a enormous empire stretching along continents.
The position of the philosophy of politics hence became wider by integrating the individuals with the empire. This lead to the development of universal philosophies which gave man principles by which to live in this now expanded world. Of these philosophies, Stoicism and Epicureanism were the most influencing. The first founded by Zenon shows a litlle self-sufficiency and a sense of duty; and the second (started by Epicur), a discreet withdrawal from the world of state functions.
The stoics felt nature was perfect, and everyone had his place and reasons for existence within it. The actions of man can only develop inside in and only in it can man seek his freedom. Stoics were also of the belief that all men were by nature free and entitled to freedom. Unlike Aristotle they were against the summoning of people inside city-states and felt that all people belong to a universal society. As to the creation of the state, stoics believed it was a natural phenomena arriving from the nature of man. On the other hand the epicureans thought of it as a product of social agreement.
The study of the epicureans puts up the value of enjoyment, and believes that inner peace can only be achieved thru spiritual enjoyment. They went as far as to suggest to the wise men not to accept any state functions as they would only bring them unhappiness.
The studies of Epicur and Zenon continue after their death and expend beyond Greece taking up the Roman empire where a lot of famous philosophers were then made. Some of those would be Seneca and Ciceron on the side the stoics and Tit Lucrecil on the side of the epicureans.
It is exactly their philosophical teaching that will have a huge impact on Christianity and Christian thought.
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