Since ancient times, mankind has been striving to learn the world that surrounds them. Curiosity and the pursuit of the unknown throughout the whole time led man forward, forcing him to make great discoveries. Now in a world full of information and accumulated knowledge, a person solves much more complex problems than those that stood before his ancestors in the distant past.
The question sometimes arises, why is classical philosophy needed? Many even call it pseudoscience, because it does not seem to carry specific knowledge. Such an opinion is difficult to challenge, and it is also not easy to explain why we are mastering the knowledge that was acquired many centuries ago.
For starters, it’s worthwhile to understand what place philosophy occupies in the hierarchical structure of sciences. Any knowledge of a person began with a general discussion of what could have been. In fact, at the heart of any science is a huge philosophical layer. Scientists discussed the subject of possible development, and only then did concrete data be introduced and calculus carried out.
So, classical philosophy is, on the one hand, the forerunner of all scientific disciplines, on the other hand, a very noticeable contribution that influenced the formation of the worldview. And it is precisely the second meaning that is now often forgotten, because a person just needs certain guidelines and postulates that will allow him to systematize his knowledge and thoughts.
Antique period
The most striking period is the antique one, because it was at that time that prominent thinkers appeared who laid the foundation for the future development of sciences. Two main types can be distinguished here - Greek and Eastern philosophy.
If we consider in detail the classical period of ancient philosophy, it can be divided into several stages, which are characterized by certain features. In total, any philosophical currents from the 12th century belong to the ancient period. BC and up to the 7th century. AD - almost 2 thousand years.
This includes the works of Homer, the work of Pythagoras, Democritus and Leucipus, as well as various works of the Eastern sages.
- Stage 1 - 7-5 centuries. BC.
- Stage 2 - 5-4 centuries. BC.
- Stage 3 - 4-2 centuries. BC.
- 4th stage - 1st century BC - 5 century AD
Classical philosophy, as represented by the ancient Greeks, encompassed the basic life processes surrounding people. Then their civilization was at the very beginning of development, and they represented the world as a huge accumulation of various processes, vital and natural. In fact, the Greek classical philosophy of that time is an attempt to systematize knowledge, organize it and trace various laws.
Great importance was given to mythology, sensual images, metaphors, but at the same time attempts were made to connect all this with the acquired knowledge about infinite space and the Universe. At that time, the non-reflective form of consciousness dominated, i.e. man did not pay such close attention to himself, therefore the image of the world at that time and the real world did not differ, but did not combine.
The later periods of classical philosophy
The ancient philosophy of the classical period is characterized, first of all, by the emergence of deep, fundamental philosophical systems and various classical schools: the Platonic school, the school of peripatetics, skepticism and the Epicurean school.
In the subsequent stages of the development of history, Rome took the leading role, therefore, it already had the main influence on the formation of philosophical views. Greek views were subsequently developed simultaneously with the formation of new directions and trends. All this had a significant impact on the formation of the worldviews of mankind at that time, on the establishment of the principles of morality and law, as well as on the development of science and other key branches of human existence.