THE PRE-SOCRATICS Prepared by Raizza P. Corpuz ©2015 Lyceum of the Philippines University, CAS Dept.
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire
The early Greek philosophers saw the world around them and asked questions about it. Instead of attributing its creation to anthropomorphic gods, they sought rational explanations
BIG QUESTION: WHAT was a single underlying substance that held within itself ? WHAT is the building blocks of matter?
The early philosophers looked at the stars, music, and number systems The early philosophers looked at the stars, music, and number systems. Later philosophers focused entirely on conduct or ethics. Instead of asking what made the world, they asked what was the best way to live.
PRE SOCRATICS 6th and 5th century BCE Greek thinkers who introduced a new way of inquiring into the world and the place of human beings in it Milesian School school of thought that practiced material monism. Material monism is a belief which provides an explanation of the physical world. World's objects are composed of a single element.
WHAT IS THE ARCHE OF ALL THINGS in THE COSMOS? Arche a Greek word means the primary senses “BEGINNING” The origin or “source of action” The principles of knowledge The ultimate underlying substance Origin and the root of things that exists THUS, it is the element or a principle exists in the world
THALES dubbed as the "Father of Science" Main ideas: Thales theorem, water is the arche Main Interest: ethics, metaphysics, mathematics, astronomy He believed that water is the material cause of all things. He is also famous in geometry, finding the height of a pyramid and the length of the sea.
ANAXIMANDER the principle of all things was infinity. Apeiron(infinite) is the arche the moon borrowed its light from the sun, which was made up of fire. the first to draw a map of the inhabited world Invented the gnomon (pointer) on the sundial, which tells the time.
ANAXIMENES Main idea: Air is the arche Main interest: metaphysics He based his conclusion on natural observable phenomena process of rarefaction and condensation. Example: Lightning- violent separation of clouds that create bright fire like flash. Rainbow- densely compressed air touched the rays of the sun. A crater of moon is also named after him in his honour.
ANAXAGORAS He believed there were no pure stuffs in the universe but that everything shared a part of everything else: "There is a portion of everything in everything.“ the universe was originally an undifferentiated mass until it was worked upon by mind (nous), a spiritual component.
Pythagoreanism Pythagoras said to be a student of Anaximander. Pythagoreanism is a system of esoteric and metaphysical belief held by Pythagoras. It developed 2 separate school of thought, Mathematikoi- learners and Akousmatikoi- listeners. Pythagoras said to be a student of Anaximander.
Main idea: musica universalis, pythagorean tuning, pythagorean theorem Main interest: metaphysics, music, mathematics, ethics and politics Musica universalis is the harmony of spheres regarding the proportions in the movement of celestial bodies. Pythagoras believed in transmigration or reincarnation of soul again and again. He was also said to have spread the seeds of political liberty to Crotons, Sybaris, Sicili, etc. Crotons, Sybaris, Sicili, etc. Greek cities of Magna Graceia
Heraclitus he was called "The Obscure" and the "Weeping Philosopher". Heraclitus is famous for his insistence on ever-present change in the universe, as stated in the famous saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice".
References Introduction to Philosophy : The Big Questions 1995. Jostein GaarderSophies World, 1991. The Story of Philosophy, Will Durant Ancient Philosophy (The Greek Philosophers) 1975, W.K.C Guthrie , Cambridge University From Socrates to Sartre Dr. Tenorio Lecture Introduction to Philosphy De La Salle University
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