Sparta focussed on physical prowess and bodily perfection. Athens on intellectual pursuit and artistic excellence. In large part Western culture sided with Athens. Descartes placed thought at the centre of identity and since then the West has tended to put intelligence and creativity above all else and sought through education and practice to refine them. But a new world may be upon us. Problem-solving skills appear to be in decline. The share of US adults unable to use mathematical reasoning to assess statements has risen to a high of 35%. In 2022, less than half reported reading a book. While research warns that outsourcing work to AI can result in forgetting how to think ourselves. Meanwhile, we are increasingly health and body-conscious and focus more on external appearance over our internal worlds.
Is the Athenian age of the intellect over, and are we seeing a return to a new form of Spartan values? Are we endangering our intellect and spending less time in thoughtful pursuits? Or was the focus on thought itself a mistake and an avoidance of reality and the simplicity and value of physical being?
