Philosophy of the Ancient Greeks

As part of my Math History course, a lecture on Ancient Greek Philosophy was given by Professor Ah Tua Teo at SUNY Ulster.

Many civilizations had their own philosophical ideas well before the Greeks. But it was the Ancient Greek Philosophy that has shaped the Western World. Before the significant turn in their attempt to understand the Universe, the Greeks were Fatalists (Fatalism - everything is fate - whatever happens has been predetermined and cannot be changed). They believed in the gods and used them as their explanation for natural occurring events.

Starting around the 8th through the 5th century B.C., there was a worldwide shift in thinking. It was a universal awakening of the mind, an Intellectual Revolution so to speak. Not only was this the time when the ancient Greeks began to philosophize, but it was the time when Confucianism and Taoism in China and Buddhism in India were established.

During the 6th century B.C., the Greek culture took a significant turn in their attempt to understand the Universe. They started developing the Philosophy (science) and Mathematics that we are familiar with today. (At the time, ‘science’ and ‘philosophy’ had the same meaning – philosophy was science).

These early philosophers were known as Pre-Socratics and their time span was about 150 years from Thales to Socrates. (You can read more about Thales, the first philosopher, in one of my previous posts)

The 3 steps which started the turn in Greek Philosophy were:
1. Wondering and pondering with reason and observation
2. Denial of the mythical and mystical religious way of thinking
3. Acceptance of Materialism (everything happens for a reason – no divine intervention) and Naturalism (all phenomena can be explained naturally).

The Pre-Socratic philosophers were seeking to understand what is ultimately real and what is reality made up of (also known as Metaphysics).
The focus of their main question was:
        What is the single substance that makes up everything? (This is also called Metaphysical Monism or Material Monism.)

The following are the answers from some of the significant philosophers of the time.
1. Thales – Everything is made of Water
2. Anaximander - Everything is made out of indeterminate boundless Infinite
3. Anaximenes- Everything is made of Air
4. Heraclitus – Everything is made of Fire
5. Pythagoras – Everything is made of Numbers
6. Democritus – Everything is made of Atoms

To learn more about this time period and Greek Philosophy click on the link below to hear Professor Teo’s lecture.
Ancient Greek Philosophy Lecture

The following links give more information on Greek Philosophy.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

The Pre-Socratics

The Big View - Greek Philosophy