The UHP Goes Greek

The following blog post was written by UHPer Sarah Hampton, a sophomore in the Elliott School. This summer she travelled to Greece with HONR 2054, History of Ancient Philosophy, taught by Professor Ralkowski (who took these wonderful photos!).

In preparation for our trip to Greece, my fellow students and I explored the works of some of the greatest ancient philosophers known to man. Studying their work was incredibly different than experiencing the environment that inspired said works, however; we were unaware of how dramatically our interpretations of these philosophers would change. After weeks of becoming familiar with the traditions of ancient philosophy, we boarded the flights that would carry most of us to our first experience with Greek culture.
CYA, or College Year in Athens, welcomed us to Greece by showing us the apartments we were to call home for the next few days. These apartments, positioned right next to an Olympic stadium, introduced us to the combination of history and modernity that is found within Athens. We began our Grecian experience by exploring different ancient sites every morning with Professor Mark Ralkowski. These tours were led by our personal guide, Dr. Angelos Papadopoulos, who exposed us to the intimate details of ancient Greek history that are unknown to those who visit Greece for purely recreational purposes. He deemed us “travelers, not tourists,” and the distinction between these two terms became incredibly evident throughout the duration of our trip.

After exploring ancient sites every morning, we would often find time to discuss the connections between the sites we were visiting and the material we had read in preparation for the trip. Our perceptions of Greek philosophy grew much richer as we were introduced to the smaller intricacies of Grecian life. These conversations allowed us to utilize both academic texts and our first-hand experience in Greece, which transformed them from merely educational conversations to ones that allowed us to truly connect ancient philosophy with the modern world.
Once finished conversing and exploring various sites, we were free to roam the city of Athens and experience Greek culture on our own terms. This aspect of the trip was incredibly educational, for it allowed us to really emerge ourselves into a culture that was completely different from that of our own. We were able to see the difference between the city of Athens and the mountainous region of Delphi as well as the more coastal regions of the Peloponnese. By interacting directly with the Greek culture around us, we were able to bridge the gap between tourists and travelers. We were able to immerse ourselves in the history and culture of another country while simultaneously connecting ancient history with modern phenomena.

The opportunity to learn Greek philosophy while within Greece itself was one that thoroughly impacted myself and my classmates. We developed a newfound appreciation for the global culture and grew in our capabilities as students. This trip provided us with unimaginable opportunities to learn, from discussing the works of Plato on the seats within Plato’s academy, to practicing Socratic debate methods mere meters from the prison in which he was held, and from analyzing the famous Parthenon to playing amongst the rocks at the bottom of the Temple of Poseidon. After directly immersing ourselves into Greek culture, we were profoundly changed as people; this identified us as travelers, rather than simply tourists appreciating culture on a superficial level. We were able to better understand the thought process of the philosophers we had studied, as we were finally able to understand the culture and environment in which their philosophies developed. Greece pushed us to grow not only as students of The George Washington University, but as students of the world as well.