What did the Greeks ever do for us Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What did the Greeks ever do for us - Essay Example The dictionary typically defines philosophy as â€Å"the love of or search for wisdom or knowledge† or â€Å"as the theory or logical analysis of the principles underlying conduct, thought, knowledge and the nature of the universe† (Neufeldt, Goralnik, 1994, p. 1015). With such a general definition, one might begin to understand the complexities involved in studying philosophy as it seems to encompass just about all knowledge pursuits. Perhaps part of the confusion in trying to define the term can be found in the early days of the science when it applied almost universally to all avenues of knowledge in ancient Greece. The term itself derives from an ancient Greek word that translates to â€Å"love of wisdom† (Wikipedia, 2005) and it is through several early Greek thinkers that we have arrived at the perceptions we now foster. Although philosophy and its early proponents have had a huge impact on the shape of modern Western thought, for the purpose of brevity, th is paper will only discuss how some of the key Greek philosophers have influenced modern conceptions of ethics and morality in a very general sense.Within this discussion, it is important to understand that the definition of ethics as it is considered by philosophers does not merely constitute a choice between right and wrong behavior.