--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is remarkable about the Greeks…" description: "\"What is remarkable about the Greeks - even pre-philosophically - is that despite the salience of religious rituals in their lives, when it came to the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/rebecca-goldstein-4026_ancient_what-is-remarkable-about-the-greeks-even_409923.jpg" --- # What is remarkable about the Greeks - even… ![“What is remarkable about the Greeks - even pre-philosophically - is that despite the salience of religious rituals in their lives, when it came to the question of what it is that makes an individual human life worth living they didn't look to the immortals but rather approached the question in…” quote by Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/rebecca-goldstein-4026_ancient_what-is-remarkable-about-the-greeks-even_409923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/rebecca-goldstein-4026_ancient_what-is-remarkable-about-the-greeks-even_409923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/rebecca-goldstein-4026_ancient_what-is-remarkable-about-the-greeks-even_409923.jpg) > “What is remarkable about the Greeks - even pre-philosophically - is that despite the salience of religious rituals in their lives, when it came to the question of what it is that makes an individual human life worth living they didn't look to the immortals but rather approached the question in mortal terms. Their approaching the question of human mattering in human terms is the singularity that creates the conditions for philosophy in ancient Greece, most especially as these conditions were realized in the city-state of Athens.” [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ancient Greeks, despite religious rituals, explored life's meaning in human terms, fostering philosophy uniquely in Athens. **In simple terms:** They sought human-centered answers to life's purpose, not divine ones. Key Takeaway Value human perspective in seeking life's meaning. Themes philosophy humanism religion culture Mood thoughtful analytical Type essay historical When to use this quote - academic study - personal reflection - public discourse Key Concepts anthropology existential inquiry Questions to Reflect On - How do religious rituals shape human meaning? - Can secular and sacred views coexist? A Different Perspective Human-centered meaning can clash with deeply held religious beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-greece/) [Athens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athens/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions/) [Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite/) [Greece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greece/) [Greek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek/) [Greeks Pre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greeks-pre-2863786/) [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Human Mattering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mattering-3657443/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-worth-living/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mattering Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattering-human-3657442/) [Mortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortals/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-ancient-2775146/) [Pre Philosophically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pre-philosophically-3657444/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious rituals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-rituals/) [Remarkable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarkable/) [Ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual/) [Singularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singularity/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Worth living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth-living/) ## Related quotes > [“The picture-writing of the Greeks in the pre-Homeric age was derived from a Semitic source, circa second millennium B.C., the type of alphabetic script…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-picture-writing-of-the-greeks-in-the-pre-homeric-age-was-derived/) [James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/) > [The human mind is constructed to always move forward Hanging on to the philosophy of ancient people is a great stumbling block to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/the-human-mind-is-constructed-to-always-move-forward-hanging-on-to/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“TRUTH, n.: An ingenious compound of desirability and appearance. 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We need empirical evidence. We can't just use mathematical reasoning to deduce the nature of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/we-need-science-we-need-empirical-evidence-we-can-t-just-use/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) [Explore all 116 Rebecca Goldstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. 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