9 characteristics of the ATTIC philosophy

The attic philosophy It is characterized by focusing on the integral development of the human being in the spiritual, political, philosophical and artistic aspects, among other aspects. At unPROFESOR.com we tell you more about What are the characteristics of Attico-Athenian philosophy.

And it is that, when speaking of Attic philosophy, we refer to a philosophical current that developed in the ancient Greece, specifically in the region of Attica and in the city of Athens. Chronologically, Attic philosophy lived its best moment in the 5th century BC. C.. known as the Golden Age of Athens, highlighting figures such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

In this lesson of unPROFESOR.com we went on to develop what were the main characteristics of Attic philosophythe basis of Western thought.

Attica is the cradle of Western philosophy, democracy, and classical Greek civilization. It is located in the southern part of the Greek peninsula and is one of the historical regions of the country. In Attica is Athens, the largest city in Greece and the main cultural, economic and political center of this golden age.

Other cities belonging to Attica are Megara, Laurión, Eleusis, Marathon and the islands of Aegina, Salamis, Aegina, Antikythera, Cythera, Pothos and Hydra, among others.

Between the characteristics of attic philosophy stand out:

1. One of its most important characteristics of Attic philosophy is that this philosophy departed from pre-socratic naturalistic philosophy, turning the nature of man in the main object of reflection, in addition to studying the metaphysical world and knowledge. It is an anthropocentric philosophy, a type of philosophy that did not develop again until about 1,500 years later with the rise of modern philosophy at the hands of figures like Descartes.
2. The Attic philosophers were interested in the knowledge of the human being and his relationship with the world that surrounds him. Thus, Attic philosophy is considered as the precursor of humanism.
3. Another characteristic of Attic philosophy is that human existence is approached as an objective reality independent of individual perception, being the reason the main means to know and understand the world.
4. Attic philosophy put great emphasis on reason and debate. Logical argumentation and reason become the main means to understand the world and resolve all philosophical questions that arise. Debate and dialogue are the tools needed to reach the truth.
5. The Attic philosophers turned to the study of ethics and politics. Thus, the most outstanding philosophers of this philosophical current, that is, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, made notable contributions in these fields. Socrates focused on moral questions and the search for virtue, while Plato and Aristotle developed complex political and ethical theories.
6. Another characteristic of Attic philosophy is that he used dialectics as a research method. A dialectical methodology that was based on dialogue and on the question and answer approach, thus building a structured discussion in a meticulous and structured way. This use of dialectic is clearly exemplified by the works of Plato, works in which Socrates used dialectic to investigate the philosophical issues that he proposed to study.
7. This philosophical current overturned in the search for truth and knowledge, being this one of his great motivations. The Attic philosophers firmly believed that through reasoning and critical analysis a deeper understanding of reality and the principles that govern it can be achieved.
8. He puts on emphasis on education, being key for these Attic philosophers. Following that goal, Plato founded the Academy of Athens, one of the first institutions of higher education in which philosophy was taught, also promoting the training of citizens. Along the same lines, Plato founded the Academy in honor of the god Academio, while Aristotle launched the Lyceum as an institution of teaching and study.
9. Attic philosophy also had a enormous influence on the development of Western culture. The works of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have been key and have influenced the emergence and development of disciplines such as ethics, politics, science or religion. Not surprisingly, Socrates is considered the founder of modern Western philosophy; Plato greatly influenced the philosophy of Saint Augustine, basic in medieval philosophy; and Aristotle made numerous theoretical contributions to the different disciplines and influenced the development of the intellectual history of the West.

And so we end this review of the main characteristics of Attic philosophy, one of the currents of ancient philosophy prominent and influential.