Byzantine and Islamic Empires

Ryan Comper

HIS 101-02

9-25-12

Islamic and Byzantine Empires

Before Western Civilization entered the middle ages, the Islamic and Byzantine Empires were the two main powers. The Islamic Empire covered much of North Africa and even into Spain. The Byzantine Empire was located in eastern Europe around Turkey. It’s capital, Byzantium, was the center of the western world after the Roman empire moved its capital there. Both cultures have greatly influenced Western Civilization. 

The Islamic Empire has given us many things. There religion, Islam, was preached and established by the prophet Muhammed. He was himself a radical thinker. His violent conquering of Mecca makes me wonder if his teachings are what causes much of the terrorism around the world today. It is no secret that a large majority of global terrorist attacks are carried out by someone of muslim faith. However, I understand that the large majority of muslim people are not radical terrorists. The Islamic Empire also gave us the Arabic number system which is the only number system in use in civilized countries today. They also indirectly are responsible for the rest of Western Civilization for coming out of the middle ages during the crusades. As European men came to the Middle East to fight, they took back spices and goods that the Islamic Empire had. This restarted trade. 

The Byzantine Empire, while not as strong as the Islamic Empire, was very influential on Western Civilization as well. The Byzantines helped spread the Christian faith by making Catholic and later the Greek Orthodox faiths their official religions. The Byzantines also split the Roman Empire effectively in half. This move from Rome by Constantine showed a break from the old Roman Empire. From this point the eastern empire nose-dived into its eventual collapse. However, the western empire staved off the Germanic tribes and kept the Muslim expansion at bay for about a thousand years. It preserved Western Civilization for a millennium. 

Greek Philosophers

Ryan Comper

Ws102-01

9-2-12

The ancient Greeks built the first well established western civilizations. With this came the first of the well known philosophers and writers. Of these were Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. These men have made lasting impressions on our western culture. Many of their teachings are still very applicable to our modern world. They established many of the principles civilization is based on today. 

Socrates was a classical Athenian Greek philosopher. He was known primarily for his students and for his work in the field of ethics but one of his greatest contributions is Socratic Method. Socratic Method uses a series of questions to distill the answer down to a specific point. This is most commonly used today in Scientific Method starting with the hypothesis. Socrates also established Socratic Paradoxes. They are as follows:

1. No one desires evil.
2. No one errs or does wrong willingly or knowingly.
3. Virtue-all virtue- is knowledge.
4. Virtue is sufficient for happiness.

These also sum up his philosophical beliefs which are contrary to common sense. Socrates was eventually a martyr for his beliefs. He was forced to either renounce what he believed or drink hemlock. He chose the latter. 

Plato was one of Socrates’s student and was therefore influenced by his teachings. In fact most of his work was basically a continuation of Socrates’s. He established the Academy to teach his master’s ways. He was known mostly as a writer, having written the Socratic Dialogues and his master piece “The Republic”. He like his teacher was a radical for his time. 

Aristotle was more concerned with math and science than philosophy. He made quantum leaps in physics, geology and biology. He was the first to identify the five elements, advanced Hellenistic medicine, and was the first to arrange the classification of living things. He also was the first to really make philosophy practical through linking it to things like politics and ethics. Of all the philosophers one could argue he was the best. 

Video on all philosophers