Pre Socratic Philosophers Flashcards
Who is considered the first philosopher and what is his key idea?
Thales of Miletus; Water is the fundamental substance of the universe.
Thales emphasized natural explanations over myths.
What is the key idea of Anaximander?
The universe originates from the Apeiron (the boundless or infinite).
Anaximander explored early cosmology and evolution.
What substance did Anaximenes propose as fundamental to the universe?
Air.
He suggested that changes in density and rarefaction of air give rise to all matter.
What famous phrase did Heraclitus use to express his idea of change?
You cannot step into the same river twice.
He introduced the concept of Logos as the ordering force of the cosmos.
What did Pythagoras believe governed reality?
Numbers and mathematical relationships.
He founded a movement emphasizing harmony, proportion, and the soul’s immortality.
What was Xenophanes’ key idea regarding the depiction of gods?
Criticized anthropomorphic depictions of gods and proposed a single, eternal, and omnipresent god.
He emphasized critical thinking about theology and knowledge.
What principle did Parmenides introduce regarding reality?
Change and motion are illusions; reality is unchanging and indivisible.
He argued for the unity and permanence of being.
What paradoxes did Zeno of Elea use to argue his philosophy?
Achilles and the Tortoise.
He developed logical arguments to defend Parmenides’ philosophy of being.
What are the four elements proposed by Empedocles?
Earth, air, fire, and water.
He also introduced the forces of Love and Strife that mix and separate these elements.
What did Anaxagoras introduce as the organizing principle of the universe?
A cosmic mind (nous).
He suggested that the cosmos is composed of infinite, indivisible particles.
What is the key idea of Democritus regarding the composition of matter?
Everything is composed of indivisible particles called atoms.
He pioneered early atomic theory and materialism.
What does Protagoras mean by ‘Man is the measure of all things’?
Truth is subjective and varies with individual perception.
He emphasized relativism and the power of rhetoric.
The Pre-Socratic philosophers laid the foundation for which areas of study?
Natural science, metaphysics, and rational inquiry.
They moved from mythological explanations to systematic reasoning about nature, existence, and knowledge.
