The Enlightenment influenced Japanese thinking during the Meiji Restoration.
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Yes, Socrates is often considered the father of philosophy due to his influential teachings and methods of questioning and critical thinking that laid the foundation for Western philosophy.
Socrates spoke ancient Greek, which greatly influenced his philosophical teachings. His language allowed him to engage in deep discussions and debates, shaping his unique method of questioning and critical thinking that became central to his philosophy.
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In general, western medieval philosophy was heavily dependent upon ancient Greek philosophy. The doctrines of the ancient Greek philosophers from the pre-Socratics through Plotinus were extremely influential in setting the agenda for medieval philosophy. The first great Christian thinker was Augustine, whose own original thinking was heavily influenced by, on the one hand, Plato and Plotinus, and, on the other, by Paul's Christian writings. Augustine tried to use the categories of Greek philosophy to render Christian doctrine intelligible. By the time of Aquinas, many of the works of Aristotle, which had been preserved by Islamic scholars, had been recovered (whereas not many of Plato's dialogues were available). Aquinas was so heavily influenced by Aristotle that he simply refers to him as "the philosopher" in his writings. Like Augustine, Aquinas tried to make sense of Christian writings, but he also used Aristotelean categories to try to make Christian thinking consistent with what else was understood about the world. In so doing, he developed the greatest medieval synthesis. Aquinas remains the official philosopher of the Roman Catholic Church. In other words, Greek philosophy in general, and Aristotle's writings in particular, had a powerful effect on Aquinas's thinking.