Department of Philosophy and Psychology
Lecturer: PhD, docent
Elena Shevchenko
The problem of being in the Early
Ancient Philosophy
For all specialities
Lection’s plan
The problem of being in the early ancient Philosophy
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From Thales to Socrates
Philosophy of Anaksimen and Anaximander
Philosophical schools of Antiquity
The Pythagorean school and the value of the ancient
philosophy of nature
Dialectical doctrine of Heraclitus
Atomic theory of Democritus
Parmenides's doctrine of being
The value of the early period of Ancient Philosophy.
Requirements for knowledge and skills
Knowledge
 The Antique Philosophy of natural philosophy period
 Tendencies in the development of early philosophical
schools of Antiquity
 Authors and Terminology philosophy of early Antiquity
Skills
 Be able to identify the similarities and differences of
philosophical concepts of early Antiquity.
 Be able to orient in a variety of opinions, beliefs and values
that are the basis of an earlier Ancient Philosophy .
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Material for knowledge recovery
To prepare for the theme of “The problem of being in the
Early Ancient Philosophy” is necessary to repeat the basic
issues of the ontology on the fallowing topics:
■ Philosophical knowledge and its role in society
■ Ancient Oriental Philosophy
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Contents
The problem of being in the Early Antique Philosophy
1. Main concepts
2. Academic material
3. Questions for self-examination
4. Recommended books
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Main concepts
The problem of being in the Early Ancient Philosophy
 Atom
 Apeiron
 Dialectics
 Cosmology
 Monism
 Philosophy of nature
 Ontology
 First principle
 Pythagorean Union
 Cognition
 Number
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Academic material
From Thales to Socrates
Ancient Greek Philosophy occurred in 6 century BC and
preferably its content has become materialistic.
• The desire to know the structure of the world was the
distinguishing feature of the Ionian school of Philosophy in
the early period of its existence.
• Thales first began to research in this field. He taught that
“water was the beginning of everything”.
• Monism – is a way of exploring the diverse phenomena of
the world, coming from the same start
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Academic material
From Thales to Socrates
Анаксимен:
Anaximander:
Anaksimen
Anaksimen felt within himself
the presence of something
that moved him. He did not
know how and why something
higher than himself, invisible
constantly made itself felt. He
called it his life. His life, he
believed, was the air.
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His calculation of the quantities
of the heavenly bodies and
distances between them are
set out in writing in the form of
small essay which is
considered the oldest
philosophical work.
He decided that start for all, or
first principle is not water, but
unlimited “All” (unlimited
(boundless) start).
Academic material
From Thales to Socrates
The Pythagorean school
• The method and the tendency of the Pythagorean school is a deductive method.
This tendency is reflected in the recognition of abstractions only legal content of
science. That is why it is often called the mathematical school.
• «The numbers are cause of all material existence (of all things)".
The value of the ancient philosophy of nature
1 For the first time the question was posed: “What is world?”
2. This question was decided, based on the observation of nature. This is a
scientific approach.
3. Natural materialists have come to the conclusion that the world is united and
constant.
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Academic material
Atomic theory of Democritus
Democritus believed that the universal
principle of the world are atoms
Atomic characteristics:
Impenetrability
Indivisible
Are able to move
Atoms have an internal source of motion:
the gravity and repulsion
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Academic material
Parmenides's doctrine of being
Being is in the present existence. To exist
means to be. This is the only
reality.
The characteristics of being–
Рисунок
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It is one and indivisible.
It is static (constant).
It is present everywhere.
It is eternal.
Academic material
Conclusion
Рисунок
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In ancient philosophy
outlined the main issues of
the future of European
philosophy. It is the
materialistic and idealistic
approach to the solution of
philosophical problems of
the world and human
existence.
Acquired Knowledge
 Main philosophical schools and concepts in early antiquity
 The theory about first principle of the world
 The Pythagorean theory about number
 The Democritus' theory about atoms
 The Parmenides ontology
 Dialectical doctrine of Heraclitus
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Questions for self-examination
• What problems have been researched in philosophy of early
antiquity?
• What are the features of the Philosophy of early antiquity?
• What question was central in the theories of the pre-Socratic
period?
• What are the features of the atoms according to the
Democritus theory?
• What are the features of being according to the Parmenides
theory?
• Which of the ancient said: “In the same river can not enter
twice, the newly incoming flow is new waters?”
• Uncover the essence of the theory of Pythagoras number.
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Recommended literature
1.Philisophy: Textbook for higher education/edited by V.N. Lavrinenko. –
М., 2001
2.Anthology of philosophical thought. – М., 1993.
3.Asmus V.F. Antique Philosophy. – М., 1976.
4.Ilyin V. The history of philosophy: Textbook for higher education. – St.
Petersburg, 2003.
5.Karatiny R. Introduction to Philosophy. – М., 2003.
6.Kirilenko G.G., Shevtsov E.V., Short philosophical dictionary. – М., 2003.
7.Losev A.F. The history of ancient philosophy in a summary (brief)
presentation. – М., 1998.
8.The fragments of the early Greek philosophers. – М., 1969. – Part 1.
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