CMNS 332 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Pre-Socratic Philosophy, Xenophanes, Arche
Document Summary
Presocratic philosophy: celebrated as a period in which logos triumphed over mythos. Presocratics were precursors of a modern, scientific sensibility, for many of them remained greatly indebted to a mythological view of the world. They may have initiated a form of primitive scientific attitude, but they weren"t actual scientists. Presocratic philosophy is variable in the subjects its adherents pursued. The ways in which their pursuit were carried out also varied [methodology]. The degree to which individual presocratic philosophers represented a break or revolution with the past belies complete homogenization. Men create the gods in their own image" - xenophanes. Aristotle divided the pre-socratic philosophers into 2 categories: theology: derived principles by religion, mythology or the gods, the vasici: deduction through natural order. Thales of miletus: presocratic greek philosopher regarded as the first philosopher in greek tradition. In mathematics, thales used geometry to solve problems such as calculating the height of pyramids and the distance of ships from the shore.
