From the Museum: the Art of Thinking. Part One: Thinking

Excerpt

The School of Athens is a grand summary of the roots of western philosophy and thinking in one all encompassing eyeful. Striding side by side in centre stage are Plato and his student Aristotle on his right. Plato's mentor Socrates is on the left providing another focal point. In keeping with his philosophy of ideal forms, Plato is pointing towards the heavens with his right hand whilst Aristotle is symbolically arguing the merits of a more earthbound empirical approach to knowledge by pointing downwards. The Timaeus and Nicomachean Ethics are tucked under the left hand of each philosopher, respectively. Socrates is depicted facing away from the centre busily questioning and examining life’s riddles. Under the statue of Apollo (god of the Arts and divine inspiration) and grouped on the left are the ancient thinkers who, along with Plato, emphasised the intuitive aspect of thinking (including Pythagoras, Epicurus, Hypatia and Averroes). The Aristotelean aligned, empirically focused philosophers are grouped on the right (including Theophrastus, Ptolemy, Euclid and Strabo) under the watchful eye of Athena's statue – the goddess of reason and wisdom. Sprouting from Socratic method/dialogue – which elevated the status of “the right question” to at least the level of “the answer”.