Miletus was captivating, not only because of the adorable puppies running around, but because it really made me reflect on the revolution of ancient philosophy and education. Miletus is considered the origin of Greek philosophy because in the 6th century Thales, followed by Anaximander and Anaximines began to speculate about the world in a scientific way versus the traditional or supernatural explanations at the time.
My philosophical studies have only dated back to Socrates so it was really eye-opening to hear about the pre-socratic studies. In the early centuries, studying was more interdisciplinary like the BIC program! Thales is not only considered as the first philosopher in Greek tradition, but a business man, politician, sage, and mathematician.
Stories are told that Thales bought all the olive presses in Miletus after predicting the weather and good harvest for that particular year. He became very wealthy, but stated later that he wanted to demonstrate how intelligence can enrich your life.
Thales is considered the first true mathematician. He was the first to use deductive reasoning applied to geometry, by deriving Thales Theorem. In addition, he used geometry to solve common problems such as calculating the height of pyramids and the distance of the ships to the shore.
The idea of intelligence being all-encompassing has faded in time. Especially today we see more specialists like podiatrist (foot doctor), cardiologist (heart doctor), or a oncologist (cancer doctor). Those are only a few of the several types of medical specialists. There are even beauty specialists today like facialists, manicurists, and hair stylists when not so long ago one person was able to do all of these things.
Specialization could be attributed to the advances in research and technology hat has occurred recently. It might not be possible for one person to obtain all the knowledge about several different subjects. However, I do think it's important that we study other fields to enhance our intellectual capacity and overall well-being.
Thales was able to improve his business skills by using his scientific inquiries and his mathematical comprehension helped him solve everyday problems. Different kinds of reason and wisdom aids in all aspects of life. I think that's why I enjoy BIC so much because you can see the big picture of why we study various subjects. Some people may complain that religion, math, or biology is not in their major, but the skills you acquire in these classes help those in my major. For example, the reasoning and logic behind calculus help me in rhetoric and memorization in biology help me in religion. Also, I enjoy seeing the connection in all these subjects. I always joke about how I have come full circle when I find the relationship between two completely different studies, but it really is an inspiring revelation.
Even social skills and physical abilities complement a well rounded life. A common Greek saying is "Mens sana in corpore sano," which means a sound mind in a healthy body. The Greeks not only celebrated intellect, but honored the gods with olympic games featuring their athletic prowess. For example, in The Sea, The Sea when they finally reached the ocean, they celebrated with some games on top of the mountain like javelin throwing, chariot racing, and running.
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