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Origins of Western Philosophy

The document provides an introduction to ancient Greek philosophy, focusing on the early philosophers known as the Pre-Socratics. It discusses the origins of Western philosophy in Miletus in the 6th century BC and summarizes the ideas of influential early thinkers like Thales, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Leucippus and Democritus. Key ideas included Thales' view that all matter comes from water, Heraclitus' doctrine of constant change, Parmenides' belief in an eternal and unchanging being, and the atomism of Leucippus and Democritus who proposed that reality is made of indivisible atoms.

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Kamille Oh
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105 views1 page

Origins of Western Philosophy

The document provides an introduction to ancient Greek philosophy, focusing on the early philosophers known as the Pre-Socratics. It discusses the origins of Western philosophy in Miletus in the 6th century BC and summarizes the ideas of influential early thinkers like Thales, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Leucippus and Democritus. Key ideas included Thales' view that all matter comes from water, Heraclitus' doctrine of constant change, Parmenides' belief in an eternal and unchanging being, and the atomism of Leucippus and Democritus who proposed that reality is made of indivisible atoms.

Uploaded by

Kamille Oh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Introduction to the philosophy of the human person:

The first pillars of philosophy:


- It all started in Ancient Greece
- A well-developed society (in all aspects cultural,
religous, social) 2. HERACLITUS - was known for his idea about
change.
Miletus: birthplace of Western Philosophy (ca. 630
B.C.) - He believes that the only thing that is permanent
in this world is change (flux or becoming).
The Miletians: Pre-Socratic Philosophers – they started
- Heraclitus viewed the world as always changing
philospising
which he likened to an ever-living fire.

CHANGE: Just like the flames that constantly flicker, the


The Miletian philosophers: world is always changing and you cannot hold on to it at
- They were the first to give humanity a unifying any given point.
and coherent explanation of the nature of reality,
a non-mythological account of reality.
- Formulated the doctrine that all matter has life 3. Parmenides of Elea – There is no such as change
because they believed that the universe is alive
or motion because there is something
or animate and material. – they can sense,
seen or touched. indestructible, immovable, complete and without
beginning and end, which he called being. 
1. Thales - The Father of Western Philosophy - was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from
- He taught that the fundamental substance or Elea in Magna Graecia
primary constituent of reality is water. Is
Concrete tangible.objective BEING - the only thing that is permanent in this world,
- Earth is flat. that is, reality is made up of one continuous object or
plenum called being. Change is merely an illusion.
2. Anaximander - Anaximander claimed that the
infinite or the apeiron is the infinite substance of
reality.
4. Empedocles - Reality is made up of four
Apeiron is ageless and eternal, and encompasses all substances: fire, earth, air, water
worlds. Such is an abstract and speculative idea of
reality rather than based on observation.
5. Anaxagoras - There is not just one element that
Apeiron – abstract reality & steculative.
reality is made of because there are as many seeds
- Earth is Cylindrical
or elements as there are kinds of things.
3. because air hold our souls together, it encompasses - The nous or the mind, it is external but is infinite
the whole world. and is self-ruled and “has the greatest strength
and power over all things.”
- The earth and other heavenly bodies, according
to Anaximenes, are like saucers floating on 6. Leucippus & Democritus - Atoms
air. Thus, the earth is flat and - The ultimate substance that reality is made of.
round. Atomos, “indivisible,” “uncuttable”

Other Pre-Socratic Philosophers:

1.PYTHAGORAS - is the first pre-Socratic philosopher


to use the term logos by trying to explain the nature of
the universe through rational thought

“Philosophy is a way of life.”

- Philosophy and religion are connected and


merged into one

φιλοσοφία, philosophia from where the word philosophy


is derived.

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