A study of Greece and the Ancient World indicates that the ancient Greeks sought to make sense of the “chaos” of the ever-changing world of experience by imposing order. Specifically, they explained human nature, the natural world, religion, and political community through two important yet very different categories: mythology and philosophy. Greek epic and Greek philosophy are two of the greatest ancient intellectual contributions to Western thought. Using our readings for support please write a 4-5 page paper explaining how the Greeks used myth and philosophy to explain their world. Be sure to address the characteristics of myth and philosophy, and to use substantial examples from the texts (Hesiod, Homer (Odyssey), Pre-Socialists, Aeschylus (Agamemnon), Plato, Aristotle). How does Greek tragedy fit into the mythology/philosophy framework? Try to build your thesis and organize your paper around the following questions: What do these works emphasize and why? How are their approaches to describing ‘reality” similar and how are they different? What conclusions can be drawn from them about human purpose and human meaning?
