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August 10 读书笔记 Early Greek Philosophy (1)Just write down some of the notes that I have gathered through reading recently. The below passages are arranged chronologically.
The Greeks were the first talents that broke through in multiple areas of intellectual developments. The subject of philosophy was one of the most important subjects that had burgeoned and burst forward into growth in this regard. But even long before the philosophy had sprouted, writings had already been quite prevalent among the elite class, recording religious activities and stories of pieties, like the eminent Homer’s Iliad.
What distinguishes the Greek philosophers from their earlier or contemporary telltale story weavers? There’s one core word which is very distinct: Reason. Any of the earlier legends were basically telling stories without providing the reason or the cause of the subject they were discussing. Thus the listeners or the readers are just informed about the fact, subdued to the fact without further attempt to disentangle the cause and reasons beyond the surface.
There are numerous merits in philosophical thinking and especially that are distinct for philosophy and the modern science which derived from its quintessence. 5 of them are quite distinguishable and of sublime importance; on top of the list is reasoning, as mentioned above. The other 4 are: 1) systematic 2) educational 3) thinking provocative 4) unconventional. These attributes are the fundamentals on which philosophical thinking is built.
The earliest philosopher as historians could excavate goes to Thales, from Miletus. Little is known to this man, and most of the accounts that are attributed to him are heavily second-handed sources. He is believed to have heralded an eclipse. He started with a cosmogonical account, attributing “water” as the origin of all things. Then he reasoned that the earth is a pile of conglomerate that sits on water surface. It is still a mystery how he had derived these notions, but it is possible to speculate that he arrived the first notion by observing all lives are “moist”, and the second notion by observing salt crystallizing, alternating from liquid to solid, as Miletus is sea boarded. He also arrived at the conclusion that magnetic stones have “souls” and attracting each one another. These are known to be the earliest empirical study accounts and by extrapolation and benchmarking, Thales lifted up the curtains of the journey for reasoning.
Anaximander and Anaximenes and Xenophanes followed Thales, and were also from Miletus of Asia Minor. They also focused heavily on cosmogonical studies while their theories in explaining the constitution of the world differ from one another.
Anaximander sees the “heavenly bodies” very differently from any other accounts I have encountered. He seemed to believe that the earth is in a shape of a cylinder rotating all along with a fiery belt surrounding the diameter, which is blocked by a belt of dark mists. The constellations we are seeing every night are the fiery belts illuminating through the holes of the dark belt, while the sun is simply a huge hole that lets in more light than other objects. He also thought that the earth needs no “support” and it stays where it should stay because of equilibrium. In addition he speculated the diameter of the earth is 3 times that of its height, which makes it chubby cylinder thoughJ. There are 2 prominent features in his speculation, first is the breakthrough concept of “equilibrium”, and second is that of using mathematical account to describe matters.
Anaximenes as the contemporary of Anaximander seems to believe “air” as the ultimate constitute of all things and “air” transformed into other forms of objects by condensing or diluting/rarefaction its density. Both of them are trying to distinguish a “fundamental” matter to which every phenomenon can be address. He denies the term “equilibrium” and contrived that the earth floats like a leaf above the ultimate matter “air”.
Xenophanes started with empirical studies, but there had been no account of him addressing a “one basic stuff” in solemn metaphysical tones. He denounces the Greek tales of pieties, saying that if lions or horses have hands and can think and draw like what mankind does, their gods would definitely manifest in shape of lions or horses as well. He did not make explicitly his account for “the one” which is metaphysical fundamental for all things, but he affirms its existence by condemning that of traditional Greek legends.
To be continued. Comments (5)
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