SWM 101

Foundations of Physical Education, Sports and Wellness

Name: Sy, Janina Dimple Roman Section: B36 Date: August 31, 2022

Discuss the contribution of the following famous individuals to physical education:

HERODOTUS
Herodotus was a famous Greek historian who lived in the fifth century BC.
He was born at Halicarnassus, which is now known as Bodrum, Turkey (c.
484 – 425 BC). He was the first historian known to carefully gather his
sources, evaluate their veracity to some extent, and organize them in a well-
constructed and colorful narrative. He is renowned as the "Father of History,"
and he was the first historian known to collect his materials methodically.

Contribution:

o He has been called the “Father of History”

o Since the 5th century, he recognized the value of physical education as a tool that could
assist in the practice of medicine.

GALEN
Galen, also known as Claudius Galenus or Galenus, was a great
physician who lived in the ancient city of Pergamon, which is today
known as Bergama in Turkey. Greek-born Roman physician,
surgeon, and philosopher. He was of Greek heritage. Galen is widely
regarded as the most accomplished of all medical researchers who
worked during the ancient world. He made significant contributions
to our understanding of a wide range of scientific fields, including
anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and neurology, in
addition to philosophy and logic.

Contribution:

o He was a well-known physician, surgeon, and philosopher who was born in Rome and was
of Greek heritage.
o According to what he said, physical education is a component of hygiene and falls under
the purview of medicine.
HIPPOCRATES
Hippocrates of Kos, also known as Hippokrates of Kos, was a
prominent ancient Greek physician who practiced during the time of
Pericles in Classical Greece. He is widely regarded as one of the most
influential persons in the field of medicine throughout its entire
history. Because of his significant and long-lasting contributions to
the field of medicine, including the establishment of the Hippocratic
School of Medicine, he is sometimes referred to as the "father" of
western medicine. This intellectual school completely transformed
medicine in ancient Greece. Previously, medicine had been
traditionally associated with several other fields, including theurgy
and philosophy, but after this school's influence, medicine became a
distinct academic discipline. This led to the development of medicine
as a profession.

Contribution:

o Due to his long-lasting contributions to medicine, including founding the Hippocratic

School of Medicine, he is called the "father" of western medicine.
o He established the law of use and disuse of body parts; usage strengthens the body parts,
while disuse resulted in muscle atrophy or weakness.

SOCRATES
Socrates of Athens (about 470/469-399 BCE) is one of
history's most famous personalities for his contributions to the
creation of ancient Greek philosophy, which served as the
foundation for all Western philosophy. For this reason, he is
renowned as the "Father of Western Philosophy."

He was a sculptor who appears to have had a variety of other

vocations, including soldier, before the Oracle of Delphi told
him he was the wisest man in the world. To disprove the oracle,
he went on a new career of interrogating others who were knowledgeable, proving the oracle
correct: Socrates was the wisest man in the world because he did not profess to know anything
important.

Contribution:
o He emphasized the significance of getting a good education in physical activities and taking
care of one's health to accomplish one's goals in life.
 o He believed one's health could be a contributing factor in the commission of grave errors
that were brought about by making poor choices.

PLATO

Plato was a philosopher who lived in Greece during the Classical period.
A mathematician, a pupil of Socrates, a writer of philosophical
dialogues, and the creator of the first institution of higher learning in the
Western world, he was also the first student of Socrates. Plato, along
with his teacher Socrates and his pupil Aristotle, was instrumental in the
establishment of the philosophical and scientific underpinnings of the
Western world. Plato argued that the physical education was critical to
the development of successful and productive citizens and hence
incorporated it into his Academy curriculum. Physical education had
two goals: (1) to prepare people for military commitments, and (2) to
start educating the entire body.

Contribution:
o Plato was a philosopher who lived in Greece during the Classical period.
o In addition to that, he was a mathematician and a pupil of Socrates.
o He thought that physical education and musical training were the two most essential parts
of the curriculum.

ARISTOTLE
Aristotle, Greek Aristoteles (born 384 BCE, Stagira, Chalcidice,
Greece—died 322 BCE, Chalcis, Euboea), ancient Greek philosopher
and scientist. He wrote a philosophical and scientific system that shaped
Christian Scholasticism and medieval Islamic philosophy. Aristotelian
ideas persisted after the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment.

Aristotle's intellectual span included biology, botany, chemistry, ethics,

history, logic, metaphysics, rhetoric, philosophy of mind, science,
physics, poetics, political theory, psychology, and zoology. He founded
formal logic, creating a comprehensive system that was considered the
sum of the science for generations. He also pioneered observational and theoretical zoology, with
some of his work unequalled until the 19th century. He's a great philosopher, though. His writings
in ethics, political theory, metaphysics, and the philosophy of science are still studied today.

Contribution:
o He recognized the tight connection between the body and the soul, as well as the fact that
one's mental faculties can be impacted by their state of health.
 o He also advised on exercise progression; excessive or insufficient activity can be harmful
to the body.

XENOPHON
Xenophon was a Greek philosopher, soldier, historian, and memoirist who
wrote about riding and taxation. Xenophon was a pioneer in the first-person
military memoir (Anabasis), biographical novel (Education of Cyrus), and
continued history (Hellenica). In his moral philosophy, he stressed self-
control, one of Greek popular morality's cardinal virtues. Furthermore, he
considered the value of physical education in relation to the armed forces
and believed that mental and physical health are vital to achieving one's goals
in life.

Contribution:
o He believed that having a sound mind and body was necessary to have success in life, and
that having a good physical education was important for both the military and for that.

References:
https://slidetodoc.com/part-one-historical-development-of-physical-education-primitive/
https://www.slideshare.net/IvanBendiola/history-of-physical-education-report

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aristotle
https://prezi.com/n1iflvgp9crv/physical-education-in-ancient-
greece/?frame=3591f67999d3e54e56904cf64083f9513c5ceb88