Unit I
IN THIS LESSON
Thinkers continue to wrestle with the Milesian worldview, which leads to the development of theories of cosmogenesis.
Topics discussed:
A brief synopsis of the views of Parmenides
Anaxagoras' notions of an "original mixture" and Mind (an early version of the laws of nature)
Empedocles' theories of Love and Strife
The sociological factors behind intellectual progress
Empedocles' defense of universal ethical principles
For lesson transcripts, go to zencastr.com/The-Luxury-of-Virtue.
Focus Questions
How were Parmenides’ counter-intuitive and seemingly outlandish views critical to the development of the philosophical thought of this era?
In what way might Anaxogoras’ Original Mixture be considered a response to Parmenides and an answer to Zeno’s paradox of Achilles and the tortoise?
How is it that Mind can be likened to something like an early account of the laws of nature?
Building upon the views of Anaxagoras, Empedocles also advanced the idea of the world being made up of fundamental and imperceptible particles. In what ways does his view differ from that of Anaxagoras?
Invoking research from sociologist Randall Collins, how might we emulate the intellectual progress seen in Empedocles and his contributions to philosophical thought?
How does the material pluralism posited by Empedocles and its cyclical nature act as a basis for his ethical views?
How does Empedocles argue that the prohibition on killing other creatures has the status of universal law?
Further Reading
David Conan Wolfdorf, Early Greek Ethics.
Robin Waterfield, The First Philosophers: The Presocratics and the Sophists.
Randall Collins, The Sociology of Philosophies: A Global Theory of Intellectual Change.