Ancient Cultures Course SLS 301 Reflection

Adriana D’Esposito, Verrazzano Class of 2026, completed major in SLS Early Childhood Education

When I enrolled in the SLS 301 course on Ancient Cultures, I didn't expect to relate to the course in any way, shape or form. However, as the semester progressed and the course kept developing, I realized I was wrong. There are a few articles, stories, and plays that have stayed with me since taking this course. One of them is The Odyssey.

I didn’t expect to find much of myself in a Greek poem about a war hero sailing home from battle and fighting monsters. But then I came across the character Odysseus in the cave with the Cyclops, and suddenly, this ancient poem didn’t seem so distant anymore.

The Cyclops episode was one of the most interesting parts of The Odyssey for me—not just because of the insane actions described within the scene, but because of what it revealed about Odysseus as a person. It describes this man who is clever enough to trick a man-eating giant simply just by calling himself “Nobody”, only to blow the whole thing when he can’t resist shouting out his real name as he sails away. That mix of brilliance and pride, is something I'm sure many can relate to in this day in age.

I can’t say I’ve ever been trapped in a cave by a Cyclops, but I’ve been in situations where being smart wasn’t enough—I had to be humble, too. For instance, think of a time when someone solves a problem during a group conversation, or notices a mistake someone else missed. It feels good to speak up and be the one who figured it out, right? But sometimes, instead of just helping or moving forward, people might go a step further to highlight that it was they who saved the day. That extra moment of showing off can change the whole tone of a situation. What could have been a quiet success turns into unnecessary tension. Just like Odysseus, the clever escape is ruined by the need to be recognized.

What surprised me most about these stories was how relevant these ancient values continue today. In ancient Greek culture, cleverness and bravery were prized, but so was knowing when to not say too much in certain situations. That’s still true today, whether you’re leading a team, applying for a job, or just navigating social media. We admire people who are bold and smart—but we also watch them closely looking for moments when their pride can go too far. Odysseus’s story could just as easily play out today, just with a few differences. Instead of yelling from a ship, he'd be posting a victory selfie with the caption: “Escaped the Cyclops. You’re welcome. #Hero.”

This course helped me see that even though ancient cultures were very different from the world we live in today, the people were not. They had strengths, flaws, relationships, and egos—just like we do. Odysseus isn’t just some mythical figure from long ago. He’s a reminder that cleverness needs balance, and that our greatest strengths can sometimes become our greatest weaknesses. That lesson is timeless and embedded within this SLS 301 course.

Ancient Greek Civilization and Gender Roles

Jenny Rong, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completing major in SLS (1-6)

During my SLS 301 humanities course, I recognized how similar Ancient Greek civilization is related to recent times and culture and how our society had progressed since then. For instance, in the book Greek Tragedy by Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz, I came to realize how mistreated women were during the sixth century BCE, specifically when female characters in Greek tragedies were acted out by males. This was because it was normalized that women stayed at home to take care of her family and only existed in terms of her bonds with men as they did not have any freedom of belonging or independence.

In plays like Oresteia, Oedipus Tyrannus, and Medea, women were disdained, similar to their ancient times and culture where men were superior, as women were displayed as manipulative, unscrupulous, and dishonorable. I thought about today where even now, some women struggle to find gender equality and control of their own reproductive health in several countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, and Africa.

In the last Greek tragedy play we read, Medea by Euripides, I discovered that even though during the Ancient Greek times households had male heirs in contrast to present time, where most women are respected as the head of the house and have the ability to decide whether they want to stay at home or achieve her own career goals to financially support herself and her family. Thus, women do not need a guardian and/or a male figure in life that would represent her for all legal and financial decisions, unlike the women during Ancient Greek times.

Ultimately, based on Medea’s term philia, a reciprocal relationship of friendship and kinship, it reminded me of my culture where friends and families are tightly bound by ties of affection and oath, and we always help each other out when needed in terms of acceptance. Personally, I am grateful that our society has advanced because women are more included in the community and have the opportunity to conquer their individual challenges and dreams that shape them into a person of their own instead of fitting into social norms. 

 

Greek Tragedies and Modern Day Culture

Erin Westgate,  Verrazzano Class of 2025, completing major in SLS Early Childhood

In my SLS 301 Humanities I class I learned about Greek Tragedies, their culture, and how much of an influence Greek society and culture has had on today’s society.

We have evolved a great deal since then, but one can make clear connections to the past. One of those connections is gender roles. In many of the play’s, women were viewed as emotional and much less worthy than men. A perfect example of this was in the play The Oresteia. Orestes murders his mother in order to get revenge for his father, who was murdered by Orestes’ mother. At his trial, it was revealed that he would get away with the murder of his own mother simply for the fact that she was a woman. He would be free because a man’s life was worth more than a woman’s life.

This scenario would not happen today, but that there are people in today’s society who still view men as superior to women. In ancient Greek culture, women were just meant to marry and have children, and that is still viewed by some people in today’s society. Modern day culture still holds the stigma that some jobs are meant for women and some jobs are meant for men, even though most women today are educated and have successful careers. We have come a long way from this mindset in today’s society, yet I do think there is still room to grow.

Another thing I noticed in ancient cultures was democracy. As many famous Greek Tragedies became popular, so did democracy. During this time, Athenian men believed there was no purpose to life if you were not publicly participating, and there was even a law made stating you must pick a political side or lose citizenship. Politics is a huge part of today’s society, something that is causing a huge divide amongst us, with the feeling that one must pick a side. Many people today are not satisfied until they know your political standing. Politics was a huge part of ancient Greek culture and is still a big part of today’s society.

Ideology of Human Nature

 Gabriella Oliveri, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completing major in SLS (1-6) 

What is human nature? What are the understandings of individuals and their actions? Why are some people considered good and others bad? Do good and bad individuals exist and are they automatically labeled as such? Why are we judged based upon our entrance into the world? Is being different a good thing, or is this a means to a bad end? With all these questions I don’t think there will ever be a definitive answer, but a choice for one to decide what they believe human nature to be.

My questions upon human nature surfaced after learning about the theories of Mencius’, Xunzi, and Goazi. Each ideologist preached a different form of what human nature consisted of, and it gave me the opportunity to create my own opinion on this topic. Mencius’ and Xunzi had opposing views toward each other’s ideals.

Mencius’ idealized that all individuals were inherently good at birth, being born with the “4 Sprouts of Morality.” These sprouts contained the heart of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom. Within these four sprouts, Mencius’ believed that all humans’ hearts were created to be compassionate towards others out of their own goodness, without needing a cause behind it. A person’s natural intuition is to want to help an individual because that is how a human’s heart is formed and shaped to be; a kind person who is good from the inside and out.

On the other hand, Xunzi did not feel the same way. He believed that a human’s nature was bad from birth because their instinctual acts would always be out of a desire to benefit and profit for themselves. To become a good individual in the eyes of Xunzi, one needed to put forth the effort in the ritual and standards of righteousness that is produced by their effort towards the ideal to become good. He theorized that an individual’s nature had to consist of their capability to learn through and achieve their goodness because they did not have it within.

Gaozis ideology argued that human nature was based upon circumstance which contributes to life experiences. He theorized that human nature was like a constant flow of swirling water and if it was to be disturbed then it would cause a disrupt to the natural flow. So, isn’t every person’s human nature differentiated because every person’s “flow of life” is to be different? Universally all humans share human nature, but their experiences are what make their differences.

Learning about all of these ideologies of human nature is a lot to understand, and forming your own opinion is a lot to process. However, that is the beauty of it.

Our cultural and moral experiences help to depict and guide the formation of our being. Xunzi believed that people needed the use of ritual and effort to become good since they were born bad at birth. Mencius’ viewed all humans as positive individuals and worked through life experiences as wanting to do good for others out of the goodness of their hearts. Goazi was a theorist who believed in the formation of individual human nature through experiences and circumstance. The entire idea of human nature can be interpreted, assumed, and pointed in various directions. My interpretation of what human nature is was formed upon understanding who these individuals were.

I think one of the purest things in life is the birth of a child because that is when time just stops, and your life and path are just beginning to form into who you will soon be. There is no judgement or knowing of past discrepancies; your slate is clear of all that is deemed as being good or bad. You are yourself in this moment without the actions of any force whether it be nature or humankind. You are not misrepresented. You are pure; you are you.

SLS 301: Learning About the Philosophy of Confucianism

Daniella Del Priore, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completing major in SLS (1-6)

 

In my SLS 301 course in the Fall 2021 semester, one topic we studied that resonated with me was the ancient Confucian tradition of filial piety. Filial piety is also known as Xiao. It has shaped equity, support, care, living arrangements, and family and social relations in China for generations. Filial piety is demonstrated, in part, through service to one’s parents and elders. Demonstrating it is the honor and respect that children show their parents, grandparents, and elderly relatives. This was of great importance to the followers of Confucianism in China. The Analects, an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius (the founder of the philosophy of Confucianism), interpreted filial piety in many different ways. The idea in the classical text is discussed and brought up numerous times, further proving its importance to society.

The ancient Confucian idea of filial piety makes sense to me, and I can understand why it would be viewed  so importantly. In my own life I have a plethora of care, love, and respect for my parents and elders. There would be no hesitation to demonstrate the concept of filial piety towards them. Whenever my parents or elders need me I am always there, willing to help and care for them.

The relationship with my family is very close knit, and I am fortunate to have such a respectful, appreciative, and fond relationship with them. My parents and elders have done so much for me growing up and they raised me to be the person I am today. I am grateful to live the life that I live, and way I was raised is a big part of that. I have so much to thank my parents and elders for.

To demonstrate a deep respect to my parents and elders is vital to me, just like it was thousands of years ago in ancient China, specifically through the philosophy of Confucianism. Followers in ancient China cared so much about filial piety and emphasized the importance, which is why this idea resonates with me vis a vis my own personal familial upbringing.

Lessons Learned from Confucianism and Daoism

 Kayla Forminio, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completing major in SLS with a minor in Psychology

In SLS 301 Humanities I: Ancient Cultures, I learned about the philosophy of Confucianism, which emerged in China during the sixth century B.C.E. It was founded by Confucius, who is recognized as China’s first great teacher. His most notable students, known as his disciples, put together a collection of aphorisms attributed to Confucius, known as The Analects. This text explores Confucius’ beliefs on the importance of virtues such as the social self and ritual in self-cultivation, and connects to my personal time  frame and culture.

One of the aphorisms in The Analects states, “The Master said, ‘To one who is not eager I do not reveal anything, nor do I explain anything to one who is not communicative. If I raise one corner for someone and he cannot come back with the other three, I do not go on.” This passage came to mind while I was tutoring. Sometimes the student who I work with can be a bit stubborn when it comes to completing his homework assignments. Recently he said to me, “I don’t want to do this anymore,” and after trying to grab his attention multiple times, I took a step back and said: “Okay, should I leave?” Although this was difficult to do because I did not want to come off as mean, it was practical and put Confucian ideals into play. I was surprised to see that once I responded that way, he changed his mind and said, “Fine, let’s do it.” This made me see teaching differently. Sometimes, you may have to allow a student’s drive for learning to develop independently rather than pushing them too hard.

I feel that this passage is relevant to now. As humans, we offer our fullest to others, especially when we see can see that they are struggling. But, sometimes, people do not want to be helped and wish to be left alone. Instead of chasing after them, we can think like Confucius: Why help someone who does not want to be helped? Maybe this way, we will not stress as much, and the person may come to us naturally.

I also learned about the philosophy of Daoism, which follows the poem-like text known as The Daodejing, written by philosopher Laozi. It teaches the way of life known as the Dao, and believes in the principle wuwei, or acting effortlessly. For example, achieving good results by not  acting or doing something follows wuwei. Personally, last year I struggled with my stamina in running. I would look at my phone every second to see that I had only ran a quarter of a mile, then a half of a mile, then three-quarters of a mile. This only hurt me because I was focusing on hitting a mile-mark so much that I did not focus on the actual power of running. I decided to stop checking my progress and after a few weeks of not looking, I hit three miles without even knowing it. I can associate these two philosophies with how I live my life and what changes I can make to grow as a person.