1. First Five In your opinion, what is “Philosophy?” Were you put here for a reason? If so, why?

2. Introduction to Philosophy

3. What is Philosophy? Why are we here? What is true? What is false? What’s the right thing to do? Why are things the way they are?

4. Where does Philosophy Begin? Western Philosophy begins in Ancient Greece –Around 600 years BCE (Before the Common Era) Thales of Miletos (624-546 BCE) –Considered the first Western Philosopher

5. Thales May 28 th, 585 BCE Thales predicts an eclipse of the sun Happens at 6:13pm, exactly when he said –Why is this so important?

6. Cosmology Cosmos: An ordered whole—Everything –What we consider “The Universe” Before Thales, people believed cosmological events were the work of the gods (Zeus, Athena, Hera, etc.) Thales proved that events have causes –We can understand them

7. The “Cosmos”

8. Rationality The world is orderly and rational We are orderly and rational We can understand the world around us

9. What are we made of? What is the fundamental nature of everything? What substances are we made of? Thales believes all things are made of one fundamental substance –Arche (arkee): First/Beginning substance Care to guess?

10. Water

11. Anaximander Student of Thales Disagrees with Thales about the arche Water is too specific –What about dust? –That’s not water! Must be smaller

12. Anaximander Anaximander says it can’t be water It has to be something smaller Something we can’t see A substance that has no form, no shape, and can’t be witnessed The Infinite--Apeiron

13. Anaximenes Student of Anaximander Rejects his teacher’s idea The Infinite? Ridiculous! Picks another substance Care to guess?

14. Air

15. Monists Thales, Anaximander, Anixemenes Mono- One Monists: All reality (all things) come from one unified whole (one thing)

16. More Monists Pythagoras Believes all things come from one thing Not water, air, or the infinite Care to guess?

17. Numbers

18. Questions 1.Pretend you’re a monist. What “fundamental stuff” do you think the world is made of? 2.Philosophy is about wisdom, not knowledge. What’s the difference between “wisdom” and “knowledge?” 3.Do you rely more on “reason” or “intuition” in your everyday life? Why?