Influence of New Thinking Flashcards
What intellectual revolution began in the Greek world during the early sixth century?
An intellectual revolution focused on questions about the nature of matter and the universe.
Who was Thales of Miletus and what was his key claim?
Thales of Miletus (c. 624-546) claimed that all life was born of water.
What significant contribution did Anaximander make?
Anaximander (610-546) produced the first known map and concluded that the earth is spherical.
What was Anaximenes’ principal element?
Air, which he believed could be modified into other classical elements.
What did Pythagoras claim about the universe?
Everything consists of numbers, and the universe is made by numbers.
What was Xenophanes’ view on the depiction of gods?
He believed people made gods in their own image and that gods should be perfect and blameless.
True or False: Xenophanes agreed with Homer and Hesiod’s portrayal of gods.
False.
What did pre-Socratic philosophers reject in their explanations of phenomena?
Traditional mythological explanations in favor of rational explanations.
Who was the first notable thinker to arrive in Athens around 460 BC?
Anaxagoras.
What term originally meant ‘wise men’ in Greek?
Sophists.
What diverse fields did Hippias discuss?
Ethics, history, geography, literature, astronomy, and geometry.
What was Anaxagoras’ view on the existence of things?
All things existed in infinitesimally small fragments from the beginning.
What was Protagoras known for specializing in?
Law and government.
Fill in the blank: To be a sophist, one had to be knowledgeable in a specific area and _______.
Sell their knowledge.
Who is regarded as the father of rhetoric?
Gorgias.
