Milesian and Other
Presocratic Philosophers
Some Presocratics and Theories
of the Natural and Metaphysical Worlds
Cosmologies and Mythologies
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Mesopotamian Myths of Creation: Marduk (sun) and
Tiamat (creative disorder)
Egypt: Nu (water), Aten-Ra (sun), Seth (moon), Nut
(heavens)
Egyptian and Mesopotamian astronomical observation:
motive seems to be to understand and appease deities
Hesiod Theogony (eighth century BCE): cosmological
poem with parallels to Near Eastern creation myths
Greeks: Search for Simple, Universal Laws (Geometric
Cosmology)
Ancient Egypt: Nut and Ra
Nut is often portrayed as a
naked female stretched across
the sky. The Sun (Ra) is
shown entering her mouth,
passing through her star
speckled body and emerging
from her birth canal nine
months later (from the spring
equinox to the winter solstice).
Thus, Ra becomes a selfcreating god, i.e. the Universe
is self-creating and eternal.
Egyptian Astronomical Chart
Annual Solar Motion of Ra
Twelve 30-day months
With special 5-day unit
To bring total to 365
Babylonian (Mesopotamian)
Astronomical Record
Arithmetical Calculations
Predict Eclipses and
Planetary Motion
Greek Debts to Egypt and Mesopotamia
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“For the sun-clock and the sundial and the twelve divisions of the day
the Greeks learned from the Babylonians” (Herodotus, 2.109)
“When all the discoveries of this kind were fully developed, the
sciences which relate neither to pleasure nor yet to the necessities of
life were invented, and first in those places where men had leisure.
Thus the mathematical sciences originated in the neighborhood of
Egypt, because there the priestly class was allowed leisure” (Aristotle,
Metaphysics 981b)
Aristotle’s assumption the key: utilitarian vs. free speculation
Greek Debt to Egyptian
and Babylonian Science
“They did not invent [mathematical science], though they did much
to systematize and put it on an exact and universal basis. As in
astronomy, they adopted the most valuable achievements of
Mesopotamian culture, but developed and indeed transformed
them.” (Guthrie, History of Greek Philosophy, vol. 1, pg. 218)
Hesiod, Theogony, 123-128
“Chaos gave birth to Erebos and black Night;
then Erebos mated with Night and made her pregnant
and she in turn gave birth to Ether and Day.
Gaia now first gave birth to starry Ouranos,
her match in size, to encompass all of her,
and be the firm seat of all the blessed gods.”
Greek Presocratic Philosophers
and Greek Rationalism
Underlying Order of Universe can be explained in Mathematical Form
Greek Mainland and Asia Minor Coast
Thales of Miletus
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Thales (ca. 620-ca. 550 BCE), possibly of Semitic ancestry
(cf. Herodotus, 1.170)
According to Aristotle (Metaphysics, 983b20) the founder
of physical science
May have been the founder of Greek geometry, through
study and generalization of land measurement
Prime element is Water
Thales’ Theorem
a circle is bisected by
its diameter, the angles
of the base of an
isosceles triangle are
equal, an inscribed
angle in a semicircle is
a right angle
Anaximander of Miletus
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Anaximander (ca. 610-540 BCE)
Origin of all things is the “Infinite” (to apeiron)
World is product of conflicting opposites which “pay due
compensation to each other according to the assessment of
Time for their injustice.”
Cosmos ruled by Law
Geocentric Universe: Sun and Moon follow circular orbits
around Earth
Invents gnomon for astronomical observation
Draws first map of Earth
Anaximander’s Universe
Anaximenes of Miletus
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Anaximenes, flourishes ca. 545 BCE; probable student of
Anaximander
Primary element of Cosmos: Air (aether)
Rarified “air” turns to fire, when this is condensed, the
results are wind, cloud, water, earth, stone
Theory of rarefaction and condensation: first strictly
physical account of relation of things to their primary
constituent element
Anaximenes’ Universe
Some Other Presocratic Philosophers
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Parmenides of Elea, ca. 515-after 450 BCE (southern Italy)
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Ontology (the question of being)
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Only what is and cannot not be can be known (ungenerated,
imperishable, indivisible, motionless, perfect); sensible world
therefore is not real
Empedocles of Acragas, ca. 493-433 BCE (Sicily)
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Real being is permanent, but not motionless and without unity
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The “All” has four Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water
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Elements acted upon by Strife (Neikos) and Love (Philia)
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Generation and decay are the compounding and dissolution of the
elements through Love and Strife
Heraclitus of Ephesus, flourishes around 500 BCE (Asia Minor)
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Logos (Reason) as the eternal principle, equated with Fire and the
ceaseless conflict of opposites regulated by unchanging Law
(Logos)
Elea (Parmenides) and Acragas (Empedocles)
Southern Italy and Sicily
ELEA
ACRAGAS
Parmenides, Empedocles, Heraclitus
Parmenides
Empedocles
Heraclitus
Atomists: Motion and Plurality
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Leucippus and Democritus (fifth century BCE)
Empty space (denied by Parmenides), the non-existent,
separates parts of what does exist from one another
What does exist can be reduced to indivisible units
(atoms)
Atoms change position, producing compounds of the
changing, sensible world
Both body and soul are arrangements of atoms; death is
only a rearrangement and not to be feared
Atomists rescue the world of plurality and motion
Democritus of Abdera (born ca. 460 BCE)
Achievement of Presocratics
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Satisfactory explanations of the cosmos must be put on a
entirely new footing; mythological explanations are
insufficient
Thales may be considered the father of physical science in
the western tradition
Parmenides may be considered the father of speculative
philosophy and metaphysics in the western tradition
Presocratics’ endeavor was called philosophia > “love of
wisdom” > philosophy; their method was logos >
“rational account” > logic
Provenances of Presocratics Discussed
Attempting Historical Causal Explanation:
Why in these Places at this Time?
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Colonies and Contacts (Miletus sent out some 90 colonies according to
Pliny the Elder, Natural History 5.112): Relativism and Scepticism
No Sacred Text; Dogma; Priestly Class
Aristocratic Philosophers: scholē and Maslow; non-utilitarian bent of
mind
Intellectual Freedom: Source of Philosophy (“love of wisdom”) is
curiosity or wonder (Aristotle, Metaphysics 982B12; Plato, Theaetetus
155D)
Caveat: Religious Elements Still Present