Ionian Philosophers
• Cradle of Western thought. Greek religion was relatively
weak and without a priestly class hence it was able to
pursue lines of thought without interference from those that
might want to protect tradition or dogma.
• Two sides of Greek culture:
 Apollonian: moderation, art, poetry, etc.
 Dionysian: unbridled self-assertion, frenzy
Philosophy: Ionian Philosophers
1
KD McMahon
• Impressed with world of change: seasons, movement of
sun, moon, planets, stars, birth  growth  death, etc.
• In spite of change and transition the philosophers
supposed that there must be something permanent. Why?
Because change is from something to something else.
Hence, there must be something that is primary, which
persists and takes on various forms.
• Ionian philosophy was mainly an attempt to decide what
this primitive something of all things was. [Urstoff:
primitive element or principle (German)]
• Ionians differed as to the nature of the Urstoff, but it was
always material: Thales  water, Anaximenes  air,
Heraclitus  fire
• The fact that Ionians were de facto materialists did not
make them scientists in the modern sense. They relied
more on “thought” then “sense” and did no
experimentation.
• Ionians were developing the notion of unity in difference
and of difference as entering into unity.
• Ionian philosophers were convinced that the universe was
governed by laws.
Philosophy: Ionian Philosophers
2
KD McMahon