Rationalism and Humanism: Foundations of Western Civilizaton

Few cultures or civilizations have reached the intellectual height Greece did in the Classical period. In material contributions to Western society they did little compared to the Romans and other Oriental peoples. The Classical times of Greece were full of emotional and intellectual innovations and took the father of western civilization, Greece, to a higher level of quality of life. The Classical period was full of challenges to the former world-view based on superstitions and supernaturalism. These challenges were encompassed within the rational movement. The rational movement sought to study the physical world in the light of rational thought, rather than a myth-making understanding. It helped to shape the way we view and think of science, politics, and society.

The rational movement is considered by many scholars to be the foundation for scienc

e and theoretical understanding of the universe. It not only provided the basis for the Greeks to form a study of the sciences but has helped modern Western Civilization in the field of science. Mathematical and speculative sciences were the two domains where most contributions came. If the Greeks had not changed from a myth-making mindset to one that applauded rational and reasonable thought, than scientific innovation would not have surfaced until the seventeenth century amidst the scientific revolution and even then, scientific inquiry would not be as advanced. Perhaps without the rational movement, science would not be present at all in Western Civilization and if it ever surfaced it would have been insignificant and would not have had such a lasting affect. During the Scientific Revolution the scholars looked to the Greeks for inspiration and used their knowledge as a basis for more in-depth studies. In turn, today’s scientists look to the scientific revolution as the grounds to form a basis for study. Without the Greek studies in the sciences, which arose amid the rational movement, today’s civilization would be hundreds of years behind in science and technological achievements, putting cultures in a world similar to that of the Medieval times. Without a doubt, Western Civilization would be behind in scientific discoveries and inventions without the establishment of rational thought by the Greeks.

The educational systems Western society operates on today have their roots in the Renaissance period. The idea of education being of great worth for an individual and the belief that education is the method in which a person can change is the result of the humanism movement. Humanist education, much like today, was looked at as preparation for life. Without this idea, today’s society would not hold education as such a high priority. In many Western countries education is considered the utmost importance in society, and education is at the top of political agendas. In the absence of the humanism movement, the institutions known as universities, particularly liberal arts oriented universities would not be available for all to attend. It would not be far off to say that if the humanism movement had never occurred education in Western societies would still be only for the priests and monks of the church, or the wealthy elite. The emphasis on education in modern society is due, in large, to the humanism movement of the Renaissance.

In today’s political realm democracy reigns. It is looked at by scholars and politicians alike as the ultimate form of government; yet, over two millennia the Greeks established a democratic form of government because of its rational view of politics. So the question arises about whether the Western world would have such an institution such as democracy had it not been for the Greeks. Without the Greek foundation of democracy rooted in the liberal-legal ideal of governing, Western Civilization would still be instilled in a system based on a single leader or group of leaders who have been deemed divinely-chosen, and thus must rule by the

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