Chapter 2 Essay

There were two different types of philosophers in the Greek era. The first philosophers to evolve were the naturalists. They believed that although the world does not stop changing there is something out there that will forever remain constant. Following the naturalists were the Sophists who turned their attention away from the world and toward the mind and morals. Both of these philosophy styles were very influential in the art society. The sculptures, architecture, and literature from this era all reflect the philosophies that stood. The Archaic period is where we find most of the sculptures that help us to understand their philosophies more. The Hellenic sculpture shows the naturalist view where they were trying to find a constant in this ever-changing world. The nude male body “…was completely appropriate” and viewed “…as natures perfect creation” (Fiero 49) They were trying to find a balance between what was real and what was just ideal to them. The architecture of the Greeks was seen as a temple for the living. In the theaters, life was celebrated through dramas and entertainment as opposed to the dead and their after life. In the Greek temples, the people came to worship their gods and do religious traditions. It is said that both of these architectural designs were “…functioned as public meeting places” (Fiero 52) for all of the Greek community. The Heroic age is where we see majority of the literature start to bloom. They began when