Question Home

Position:Home>History> Why did ideas such as humanism and democracy develop in Greece & not elsewhere?


Question: Why did ideas such as humanism and democracy develop in Greece & not elsewhere!? Were the Greeks truly unique!?
Why do you think ideas such as humanism and democracy first developed in Greece and not someplace else, such as Persia or Egypt!? Were the Greeks truly unique from other cultures, or are they simply a product of everything that has come before!?
Thoughtful, articulate answers preferred!. Thanks!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think it mainly had to do with geography!. Whereas Persia and Mesopotamia can be traveled to and fro relatively easily because of the wide flat terrain it was easy to setup a centralized empire!. Greece on the other hand is set up on a series of mountainous islands that are very difficult to march over!. Even cities like Sparta and Athens were defeated by the other, supremacy over the defeated city couldn't be sustained for very long!. Eventually, one would gain independence and the struggle between the rivals would begin all over again!.

Remember, that although democracy flourished in Athens and a few other Greek city-states, most were still monarchies or aristocracies!. I think specifically for Athens, democracy helped to make people feel more involved in their nation's decision-making and made them feel more responsible for it's fierce foreign policy (despite being considered enlightened, the Athenians were ruthless to their neighbors in the Aegean)!. Basically democracy helped to maintain Athen's strength by giving all free men (not women, not slaves) a stake in the city's future!. The geography is still important though, because without an individual city-state there would have little opportunity for democracy to develop in the first place!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Very assumptive statement!. How do you know it didnt exist elswhere!? were you there in those days!? and further more did you witness all the cultures in those days!. Besides the west has a tendency of giving credit only to individuals originating in their society when it comes to human advancement!. You will be shocked to know that many of the so called inventions attributed to the west had long been in existence!.

From what I know, the Greeks were schooled by the Egyptians!. so it is possible that they adopted their ideas such as Ma'at which was used to uphold truth, justice and righteousnessWww@QuestionHome@Com

It's like Columbus over the Vikings!. He gets remembered because he led to continuous settlement!. We remember the Greeks because they're the earliest western, written example of democracy!. You can find republics in India and Humanism in dozens of old religions!.


A little less surviving parchment and we wouldn't remember them at all!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com

Calling it democracy is still a stretch of the imagination!. Remember that less than 10% of the population had voting rights!. Www@QuestionHome@Com