Western thought

The term Western thought is usually associated with the cultural tradition that traces its origins to Greek thought and the Abrahamic religions of Christianity and Judaism. (See also Western culture)

Cornerstones in this tradition include:

Western society may be thought of as following an evolution that began with the philosophers of ancient Athens such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. It continued through the Roman Empire and, with the addition of Christianity (which had its origins in the East), spread throughout Europe. During the colonial era, it became implanted in (for example) the Americas and Australasia.

In the early 3rd century the Emperor Constantine the Great established the city of Constantinople as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Empire included lands east of the Adriatic Sea and bordering on the Eastern Mediterranean and parts of the Black Sea. These two divisions - the Eastern and Western Empires - were reflected in the administration of the Christian Church in Europe, with Rome and Constantinople debating and arguing over whether either city was the capital of Christianity (see Great Schism). As the eastern and western churches spread their influence, the line between "East" and "West" can be described as moving, but generally followed a cultural divide that was defined by the existence of the Byzantine empire and the fluctuating power and influence of the church in Rome. This cultural division was and is long lasting; it still existed during the Cold War as the approximate western boundary of those countries that were allied with the Soviet Union (with the exception of Poland, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania).

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