Pre-classical Greek philosophers Flashcards
Pre-classical (pre-Socratic) Greek philosophers
(1) The Cosmologists (Physists): Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Heraclitus, Democritus and Empedocles
(2) The Biologists: Alcmaeon and Hippocrates
(3) The Mathematicians: Pythagoras
Classical Greece philosophers
(1) The Sophists: Protagoras and Gorgias
(2) Socrates
(3) Plato
(4) Aristotle
What question did the cosmologists try to answer?
From which element element is the cosmos built?
What is the major element from which everything emerged?
Thales of Miletus
(1) Water = first element from which universe evolved
(2) Believed Earth was flat
(3) 2 of his students changed his opinion - open to criticism - encouraged them to improve upon him. Two became famous in their own right: Anaximander & Anaximenes
Anaximander
(1) Apeiron (the Indefinite, the Boundless) as primary physis
(2) Major element from which everything emerged = the infinite (something you cannot specifically catch - without limit)
Anaximenes
(1) Air = basic element
(2) Argued that more condensed air created solid rocks and other physical objects vs less condensed, loose air = pneuma (soul)
Democritusof Abdera
(1) Atomism: The Universe = material atoms and the void. Atom = smallest unit of existence. The soul = smooth atoms.
(2) No afterlife, no reincarnation
(3) Hedonism
How do we perceive?
Democritus (atomists) answers
The external layer of an observed object emanates the eidolon (pl. edoila) - a copy of the surface of the object.
Small atoms of eidolon travel through the void to stimulate our senses and trigger their replication (an echo, covibration).
Origin of Eidolon: Democritus, Empedocles or Homer?
(1) Homer: An eidolon = a shade, phantom, ghost, a spirit-image of a living or dead person.
(2) Democritus and Empedocles: a copy emanated from the surface
=> Empedocles: Eidola enter via body’s pores
=> Democritus:Eidola enter via the sense organ
Heraclitus vs Zeno of Elea
(1) Heraclitus: CHANGE
Fire = primary element. Symbol of eternal change and movement in becoming and actualizing the potentials.
(2) Zeno of Elea: STAGNATION
Change/movement is impossible - illusions
Empedocles
(1) Cosmologist AND Biologist
(2) 4 basic elements: Fire, Air, Water & Earth - combined producing endless set of objects/events
(3) Mixture/configuration of elements govered by the 2 Dynamic forces in the universe: Attraction & Repulsion
(4) Believed in the transmigration of reincarnated soul. So he suggested not to kill animals + strongly opposed to rituals involving animal sacrifice
Empedocles - Dynamic forces in the Universe (2)
(1) Attraction: Promoting life, creation and integration. Promotes the grouping of matter into planets and living organism.
(2) Repulsion: Promoting death and disintegration. Destruction of the planetary and biological systems
Explain Aesculapian temples & healing
Aesculapian temples (Aesculapius or Asclepius) = Symbol of healing. Priest in these temples offered healing.
-> Asclepian doctor/priests would suggest to imagine and dream about the god Asclepius
-> Also offered magic rituals, incantations, baths, massages, herbal tea, and dietetic suggestions.
Alcmaeon of Crotona
(1) Criticized strongly this practice of Aesculapian priests.
(2) Human health and illness depend on balance between opposing forces in the body. => To maintain this balance, rules of moderation in eating and sleeping.
Health: the balance and harmony
(3) Illness = natural phenomenon, thus we have to solve it with natural means
Hippocrates
Father of medicine.
(1) Trained in medicine by his father an Aesculapian priest.
(2) Claimed every illness has natural cause, not spiritual/metaphysical causes + should be treated by natural means
(3) Holistic approach to illness: “Do not treat an illness but the person who is ill”.
(4) Believed in natural/Auto-healing power of the organism; doctor to help the nature to heal itself
(5) Inspired by Empedocles’s idea of 4 basic elements: Balance of 4 types of fluids (humours) in the human body.
(6) Hippocratic Oath
