Intro to Ancient Greek Philosophy R.S. Stewart Lecture 1: Intro: The Pre-Socratics

Map of Ancient Greece

Athens The Agora where Socrates ‘lectured’

Athens Parthenon: Built between 447 & 438 BCE with adornments continued to 432 BCE. It has served as a treasury, been converted both to a Christian Church and a Mosque and was badly damaged when bombed by Venetians while serving as an Ottoman armory in 1867.

Athens Parthenon

Parthenon on Acropolis Artist's rendition

Athens Herodion Theatre (looking down from the Parthenon)

Athens Temple of Zeus (from Parthenon)

Athens Temple of Zeus

Athens Temple

External Nature Thales, water Anaximander, the indefinite Empedocles, air earth, fire, and water Democritus, atoms Materialism, Reductionism, Determinism, and Mechanism

The Beginnings of Western Philosophy Socrates and the Story of the Oracle at Delphi (from Apology): Philosophy as a critical stance in search of proper definitions

Thales (b c.624 BCE): The first Pre-Socratic “All is water” The discovery of nature and the rejection of mythopoeic explanations

The Milesians Thales, water Anaximander (b. 610 BCE), The Indefinite Anaximenes (b585 BCE), Air Plenums and the lack of space

Parmenides of Elea

Parmenides’ (fl. Early 5 th C BCE) argument against motion An Argument in Philosophy = a set of reasons put forward (called premises) in support of a claim (called the conclusion). 1) What is, is; what is not, is not. – Assumption 1: Law of the excluded Middle – Assumption 2: What exists must be knowable by having consistent properties.

Parmenides’ argument against motion 1) What is, is; what is not, is not. 2) Change requires motion. 3) Motion requires empty space. 4) Empty space is nothing or something that is not. 5) Empty space is not 6) Motion is not. 7) Change is not. Therefore, Nothing ever changes or can change.

Democritus (b. Thrace, ~ BCE) Atomic theory and the resolution of Parmenides’ problem Matter comes in units that are ‘uncuttable’ (automa or atoms) This means that empty space (that which is not) cannot enter into the atom (which is). Empty space exists as the separator of atoms. Atoms differ in size, shape and position. Atoms are self moving.

The Sophists A shift to law and politics: Democracy and the need for public speakers. Relativism. “A human being is the measure of all things – of things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not.” Protagoras There are two opposing arguments concerning everything.” Protagoras “To make the weaker argument the stronger.” Protagoras