1 greek philosophy
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By Mian Waqas
Greek PhilosophyPre-Socratic (Naturalist/Materialist)
Philosophers
Mian Waqas (0345-4740019)
1. Ionian (Milesian) Philosophers
• What is nature of Cosmic matter/ world-stuff?• They agree, it is One, but disagree to its type.1. Thales/Father of Science/Founder of Philosophy• Ultimate substance/matter is Only Water.2. Anaximander/ Originator of philosophical concept of God
• Ultimate substance is “infinity” Or “Apeiron” which is boundless, infinite corporeal mass (like divine).
3. Anaximenes • Ultimate substance is Air.
Thales: Ultimate stuff from which our universe is originated is WATER.
Anaximander: Ultimate cause or stuff of our universe is APEIRON( Unknown, limitless & boundless, primordial mass).
Anaximenes: Air is the source of this Universe.
2. Pythagoreans 4. Pythagoras • Coined the term “Philosophy.”• Ultimate reality is Mathematical (Number).• Mathematics is the lord of universe.• There are Two Kinds of world (Dualism) 1. Mathematical world which is Perfect, Infinite, Original.
2. Physical world: imperfect, limited, Copies, shadows • The real essence of our material objects is mathematical
forms (numbers, formulas, formulas, calculations, conceptions).
• Everything is in accordance with a Number.
Pythagoreans: Ultimate reality is MATHEMATICAL. (Numbers)
3. The Eleatic School
5. Xenophanes: He criticizes anthropomorphic polytheism, & brings Monotheism/Pantheism
• Supreme Being/God/World-stuff is one. Or World is God, God is World.
6. Parmenides (Father of Materialism):Being/God/Ultimate world-stuff is The One. (Ultimate reality is single entity)
• (If a being is thinkable, it must exist. If a being is unthinkable, it can’t exist—non-being). God is thinkable, so He exists—Being).
• Void/empty space can’t exist (non-being). similarly motion & plurality can’t exist. No Change in the world.
Xenophanes:
• Xenophanes rejects anthropomorphic (having man-like qualities) gods.
Parmenides: Ultimate reality is One Being. (unchanging & indestructible)
• As Only one being is everywhere, so there is no void, as there is no void, so there is no movement to fill it. Every thing is constant and unchangeable.
• Zeno’s Paradoxes to prove his teacher Parmenides. Suppose YOU want to catch a stationary bus. Before you can get there, you must cover halfway there. Before you can cover halfway there, you must get a quarter of the way there. Before traveling a quarter, you must travel one-eighth; before an eighth, one-sixteenth;. and so on. So you can never catch the buss.
Eleatic School7. Heraclitus, the Obscure (weeping philosopher)• Unlike Parmenides (who says there is no change, no motion in
the world), Heraclitus says everything is in change/motion/ becoming. “You can’t step twice into the same river.”
• Fire is the Ultimate substance of this universe.
• Everything is under Law/Reason/Logos.• So reason/natural law arranges meaningless
(disordered) things in orderly manner.
Heraclitus: Fire is ultimate Substance.Everything is in Change.
You can’t step twice into the same riverEverything is compose of fire.
1. Pluralist/Atomists
• Unlike One changeless being, World is made up of many things.
1. Empedocles: Four elements (water/air/earth/fire)
2. Anaxagoras: Countless elements/seeds which are moving under the law of reason.
• Mind/Nous/reason gives direction/purpose to world.
Empedocles: Four Elements (Water, Air, Fire, Earth)
are source of our universe
• Life come into existence when these element combine with each other through forces of Love.
• Death is the scattering of these elements due forces of hatred.
Anaxagoras: countless small seeds are source of everything. They are determined by
omnipotent/omniscient reason (or Nous).
• Life & Death depends upon combination & scattering of these seeds.
2. Pluralist/Atomists
3. Leucippus says universe is made up of many atoms.• Atoms are under systematic mathematical laws.• Nothing comes without any reason. Or everything
arises from something (reason/cause).4. Democritus gives two-world concept.Phenomena (sense-world):Imperfect/untrustworthyReality (rational-world): Ultimate/perfect/valid. It is
made up of invisible atoms (ideas/forms).• Ultimate reality is made up of numberless atoms
which can be understood by reason, not senses.
Democritus: Ultimate source of this universe is ATOMS.
• Leucippus and his Student Democritus also believed in determinism. Every thing is eternally pre-determined.
3. Pluralists/Sophists5. Protagoras gives perception theory—”Man is
measure of all things.” OR it means reality is relative/subjective(changes person to person).
• So there is no ultimate reality.• But only sense-world is real.• Our knowledge is always based on our personal senses.6. Gorgias brings relativism of Protagoras to Nihilism
—”Nothing exists, second, if anything did exist, we could never know.”
• So “ultimate reality” of previous philosophers was extremely challenged by Sophists.
Protagoras: “Man is the Measure of All Things”
Ionian (Milesian) PhilosophersReality is One
(1) Thales (Father of Western Philosophy)
World Is made up of water.
(2) Anaximander (father of Cosmology & Astronomy)
Universe is composed of a infinite, limitless Apeiron
(3) AnaximenesWorld is originated from air. Breath is soul.
Reality is One
(4) Pythagoras(Father of Numbers)
World Is based on numbers. “Music is medicine of soul.”He believed in incarnation.
(5) Heraclitus “The Obscure”
“Everything is in flux.”“You can’t step twice into same river.”World is based on fire.
(6) Parmenides & his student Zeno
Reality of the world is “One Being” unchanging, indestructible.
Monism vs. Pluralism
Reality is One Reality is Many
Thales Water Empedocles water/air/earth/fire
Anaximander Apeírôn Anaxagoras Seeds/fragments
Anaximenes Air Democritus Atoms
Pythagoras Number Heraclitus Fire Parmenides same being Zeno same