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Home , Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Heraclitus, Leucippus, Philolaus, Pythagoras

c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 1 AGE P Ionian HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural : The Ionian : The c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 2 AGE P , and his materialist followers; and Thales HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian the first recorded natural , the and philosopher and his followers the Pythagoreans. the birth of in ancient ; • • • In this Activity, we willof discuss antiquity the and birth their of search scientific for natural thought explanations by of introducing the the world natural around philosophers them. You will learn about: Summary c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 3 AGE P knowledge from astronomical HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian the Babylonians andBabylonians and Egyptians Egyptians were excellent at bygeometry and and about they made 1000sky. extensive observations BC. of Such The theof observational night the and religious technicalpriests. practices activities of were the part Babylonians andLike Egyptians their neighbours,around the them wasphenomena believed were acts created that of the by the . world the gods and that natural The Greeks inherited their Introduction c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 4 AGE P between 600 and 400 BC. period ) pre-Socratic (or Ionian . science HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian However, the ancient Greekscientific thought was was notfreedom not as that necessarily “sacred” the Babylonians as related and that Egyptians to didn’t of have. religion.By about their 700 neighbours BC, This the and Greeks gaveto hence began seek Greek to explanations of move scientific away natural from phenomena thoughtwe their without now mythical a the call view use of of the gods. world This and wasIn started the this beginning Activity, of we’ll what be looking at the c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 5 AGE P . When money and are involved in the telling of , the HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian original stories can be “modified” quite aMost bit! of the early philosophers’ workActivity. comes to us from , who we shall learn about in the next When studying ancient history, wefrom must the remember source, that but the from information later philosophers, often scientistsSome doesn’t and come historians. scientists directly andboost historians their may own accentuatetheories/beliefs and/or in certain beliefs, a theories and bad play of down their - or predecessors, even which ignore - others which put their The first natural philosophers c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 6 AGE P MacTutor c

: Thales. Credit archive HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Thales of Thales (624 – 547well BC) as has the been first Greek calledhe scientist the was and an father engineer. mathematician. of By Greek profession, philosophy,It however, as is difficult to gaugeIt the is real unsure whether of he Thales ever as actually none wrote of down his any work of has his survived. teachings. c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 7 AGE P NASA c

: The port townAegean of Sea. Miletus, IoniaCredit on the what he explain HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian We do know that Thalesof was Miletus, born on in the 624 westdied BC coast there in in of the 547 Asia port BC. Minor town (now Turkey),He and was the first recorded person to try to saw in thephenomena world - around him. includingas the processes Thales thought governed -understood), rather that by could than relying natural be on natural discussed explanations. laws (though not fully c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 8 AGE P While some of his theories mayus seem now, bizarre the to isthe that natural Thales world tried around him. to explain In particular, Thaleswas believed a that largeocean the (flat) of disk , and floatingfrom that disturbances on in resulted an this oceancracked infinite that shook the and Earth.believed that At when thatsea, , was the angry he the produced earthquakes. Greeks of the Henry Davis Consulting c

: HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian The worldview of Thales Credit c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 9 AGE P Robert Poletti c

Credit: HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Thales studied geometrythought in that he wassubject and to the Greece on it first his to return. is introduceHe the is creditedgeometry with five of theories trianglesis of and uncertain the whether basic ,. he though proved it any ofHe these isof said to variousknowledge. have calculated using the heights his geometric He suggested thefundamental concept tying together of allan the original multitude “unity of style things of underlying we thought see for diversity” his on time. Earth. – This was meaning certainly that there were some c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 10 AGE P solar cycle for predicting lunar eclipses of the Babylonians was already known, year HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian but since solar eclipses areharder only to visible determine. at specific places onThales’ Earth, prediction the solar of eclipse the cyclearound eclipse is that time was much was probably possible. a guess,It’s based also possible on that the otherhave knowledge people been that suggested able to an – predict after eclipse the that eclipse. fact – that Thales, so great, would eclipse of 585 BC – though thisAt is unlikely. that time, the 19 One of the main astronomical claims to fame for Thales is the suggestion that he predicted the Predicting an eclipse c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 11 AGE P , what was here in the beginning, and what things are (rather than some spiritual or supernatural substance; thus . material substance Anaximenes and HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian made from. They all believed that the name materialists) made up the Universe. What this substance was varied for each of them. They all questioned the origin of the Thales was first of the Milesian (people from Miletus) materialists, along with his followers Thales and the Milesians c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 12 AGE P and the answer had to be in terms of the basic from which all things were derived. element ’why do things happen the way they do?’ HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Thales believed that incomposed of the water. “Water” beginning in there this context was wasHe some asked only unifying . water, that the world and all things were that the world was built of. He observed that somehills rocks were contained once part fossils of ofclouds, the and ancient sea. saw seashells rain He fall probably and from alsoin thus those saw turn clouds concluded mist over became rising the that water. Aegean from North the sea thethus of - Anatolian earth thus Miletus, hills rose a to up became meandering become damp out riverbecome , of would which water muddy have again. water. been Seeing seen springs to in slowly the siltThis nearby up lead hills - him he to would surmise have seenthe that earth fundamental the world originally consisted of water and to conclude that water was c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 13 AGE P Henry Davis Consulting c

: Anaximenes’ world. Credit ”, and went on to argue that air (ca. 555 BC) thought the Universe formed out of (ca. 535 BC) suggested air (or what we think of as gas) was the fundamental material if everything comes from water, what can account for HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian an infinite heout” called of the opposites (such “boundless” as due hot to and cold, a wet “separating and dry). Anaximenes the diversity of the presentwas world? the fundamental element.which The became world compressed was the closer surrounded it by camecompressed, air, to air the turned centre. into water, When and compressedearth, water became and compressed earthair became in stone. a more So or everything less was condensed(This state. was the first attempt toqualitative explain differences the in diversity terms of of the quantitative world differences.) with Anaximander of all things. He asked ” c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 14 AGE P flux . . . (and even accommodates relativity energy (ca. 500 BC) from thought all things were made of water and earth. He thought ! So energy can transform itself into matter, just like ’ fire or flux. . . ) 2 (ca. 500 BC) of , who believed all things came from fire . What did it mean for HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian that the Earth was infinite, enclosed by neither air nor the heavens. and fire was conceived assame. the underlying order of the , transformingThis itself idea yet sounds remaining very the muchwith like E our = modern mc idea of Heraclitus air to turn into water,one earth, substance stone that etc? everything For was Heraclitus made if from. it Heraclitus didn’t saw remain the air, world then in this a couldn’t continual be state the of Other materialists followed, including: c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 15 AGE P (ca. 450 BC) of Agrigentum, lived in the Greek colony of and was strongly HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian influenced by Pythagoras (who we willsingle meet fundamental later element in and this instead Activity). suggested He four moved – away earth, from claimed air, the fire idea that and of water. nothingconsisted a of could differing be amounts of createdhe the called or four “ and fundamental destroyed strife”, elements. and with love He maintained binding(This also the that might added elements two be all and , considered strife things which separating asearth them. the is shadowy solid, water beginnings is of liquid, : air is we gas, could and extrapolate fire and is energy.) say Empedocles c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 16 AGE P ever HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Empedocles (ca. 450 BC) suggestedcaused that them forces to between join his and 4 separate, elements resulting (earth, in the water, air, apparent fire) changes we saw. (ca. 500 BC)changes. thought everything All changes that we existed see always are had just and illusions! Heraclitus in fact (ca. 500some BC) inner said tension that or dynamism; everything and flows, and even objects that appear static have • • • The main preoccupation of philosophers into the change 5th when century they BC knew was that to the explain Universe why was all constant things and seemed eternal. c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 17 AGE P seeds (ca. 410 BC) continued this idea and claimed in constant motion. Change came from the coming , but of course they had no experimental backing for this atoms atomic who followed him. atomists (ca. 450 BC) of Clazomenae was the last of the Ionian natural philosophers of note, (ca. 440 BC) and his student HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian together or breaking apart of these atomsThis as is they formed a different lot materials. likeidea our and modern it was later rejected by Aristotle and others. who inspired the He thought that nothing couldthings be that created already or existed. destroyed, and that allHe is also made thought up all of, things or were(though dissolved made couldn’t into, from say minute exactly bits what of that some was). universalLeucippus substance he called that everything was made of tiny unseen c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 18 AGE P , were all located on concentric cylinders, or and HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian hoops, rotating about the Earth. Each hoop is filledhole with in fire that which particular we hoopus can passes to over only see us see stars. - when these holes the allow Eclipses were caused by blockages in the holes. This model was verybodies were radical thought to for be its living gods. time, since all heavenly The first recorded attemptAnaximander to around 555 model BC. the Universe cameHe from suggested that the Earth was a cylinder and that the The first c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 19 AGE P HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Earth is a cylinder 1 unit high andThe 3 Sun, units the wide, with Moon the andtransparent); top each and of bottom the faces inhabited; stars is actually a hoop - or cylinder - made of air (so it is • • In Anaximander’s universe: c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 20 AGE P ) and one composed of air with day HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Empedocles thought that two hemispheres revolved aroundEarth, the one composed of fire ( a little fire (night). While he didn’t think thatwere the fiery Sun was elements, madereceived of and its fire, the light the stars Anaxogoras from Moon after the seeing was a Sun lunar made eclipse). (an ofAnaxogoras idea believed air that also all and heavenly suggested bodiesthe must by be same made substance of as theand Earth that the after Sun he was studied a , red-hot stone. c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 21 AGE P MacTutor History of Mathematics c

: Pythagoras. Credit archive . HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Pythagoras (c.569-c.475theologist BC) and was a mathematician, Greek who philosopher, also contributed to Again, none of his workthe has word survived of and others. sofigure! Many we presented His must history Pythagoras rely must as on be a viewed god-like with caution... Pythagoras c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 22 AGE P NASA c

: Credit The island of , off the west coast of Ionia. . HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Pythagoras then spent about 10geometry years studying and astronomy inentering Egypt, the priesthood as there. well as From Egypt, he wenthe to was , involved where inas learning their about sacred and rites, musicBabylonians. from the as well Pythagoras was born onthe Samos, coast of an Ionia, island around off 569 BC. He studied in Miletus underhis Thales, increasing interest inand mathematics attended andat Anaximander’s the astronomy, lectures, time was who interested in and c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 23 AGE P , practiced secrecy and communalism, making it difficult to determine Pythagoreans HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Pythagoras returned to Samos around 520 BCGreek and colonies from in there southern went ), to where livereligion he in founded in Croton a 510 (one school BC. of based the on many mathematics, philosophy and His followers, the what work was actually that of Pythagoras. During his life’s work,in he , linked as geometry wellmathematics with and as astronomy, Pythagoras making and believed many that found all contributions relations basicHe could to mathematical died be in astronomy. reduced relations , to Lucania, numbers. From around his 475 BC, observations although there in is music, some uncertainty in this date. c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 24 AGE P They lived in just visited the society mathematikoi. akousmatics, HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian in the daytime. The Pythagorean beliefs included: that realityspiritual is purification; mathematical in ; that of philosophyall the can members achieve ; of that the order certain should symbols observe hadMany strict of mythical loyalty and the significance; secrecy. religious and ideas practiced at the school were derived from Egyptian customs. The school in Croton setwas up the by head Pythagoras of had the many society, followers, whose both inner men and of women. followers Pythagoras were called The Pythagorean School the school, whereas those in the outer circle of the society, the c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 25 AGE P , which most of science is based on and was used by both Newton reductionism a proper scientific approach. HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian This idea is known as and Einstein. The Pythagorean philosophy was basedagainst on mathematical “”, which in many waysOn worked the other hand,ones. however, they taught that all complex phenomena must be reduced to simple c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 26 AGE P of mathematics, rather than solving particular problems. principles of numbers and mathematical figures like triangles and squares. concept HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian They worked on the Because of the secrecy ofthough the the school school, as it a is whole difficult madePythagoras outstanding to was contributions attribute interested to specific in mathematics. work the to Pythagoras himself, c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 27 AGE P HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian The Pythagoreans also attributed personalities toand numbers, such incomplete, as even masculine and and feminine, odd.first perfect four integers Ten was (1+2+3+4=10). considered Pythagorasrelations. believed the These that very ideas all best were relations ridiculed , could by be being later reduced made philosophers! to up number of the It is difficult for us2 to apples, realise to now the what abstract a 1 big + step 1 it = was 2, to let go alone from the next the step notion of of thinking 1 of apple 2 + as 1 a apple thing = itself! c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 28 AGE P 2 B + 2 A = 2 C HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian Particular mathematical contributionsthe famous “Pythagoras’ include ”, which isfor that a righthypotenuse angled is triangle, equal to the theof square sum the other of of two the sides: the squares The Babylonians knew thisbut 1000 years Pythagoras earlier, theorem. was Pythagoras’ the theorem issingle first most arguably important the to theorem in mathematics. prove the Pythagoras’ theorem c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 29 AGE P by trying to find the irrational numbers HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian of a right angled triangle with sidesRational 1 and numbers 1 are (whose numbers hypotenuse that is10/2 can root , be 2). 0.6 written = 3/5 as and the 0.3333... ratioIrrational = of numbers, 1/3. two on the whole other numbers, hand, such are as numbersThis 5 that greatly = can’t upset be expressed the asthought Pythagoreans, a of who . as thought the ratio all of things two were whole numbers. numbers, where numbers were From here the Pythagoreans went on to discover c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 30 AGE P analyse musical sounds. mathematically The relationship between string length andoctave tone: higher. halving the string length gives the same note one HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian By experimenting with vibrating strings, heby found exact that ratios, musical and tones that were certainoctave related scale! ratios to gave the more string harmonious length sounds. In effect, he “discovered” the Pythagoras was also intriguedperson by we the know of relationship to between music and numbers. He was the first Pythagoras and music c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 31 AGE P , with perfectly uniform speeds. HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian (the five naked eyeMoon) and planets the plus stars all the moved inorbits Sun perfect circular and Pythagoras thought the heavenly motionsperfect, were and thus spherical. Hethe recognised Earth that was aspheres sphere (but were probably perfect), because whichcentre he of placed the Universe. at the In the Pythagorean cosmology, the 7 Pythagoras and astronomy c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 32 AGE P as as a of the Moon was orbit , and was the first to realise that was the same equator of music as well (which they argued can’t be heard Venus as an evening The Pythagoreans also thoughtstars that and the planets rapid around motion the of Earth the mustsince it’s produce been with a us since perfect our birth). Pythagoras also recognised thatinclined to the the Earth’s morning star. HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 33 AGE P the first person to , HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian suggest that the Earth actually moves. He had all the heavenlyfire – bodies which circle couldn’t be a seen central becausea there counter-earth was between the Earth and theThe fire. model was probably proposedheavenly to bodies have rather ten thanMoon, nine five (Sun, naked Earth, eyesince planets, the and the Pythagoreansmystical stars), thought number. of ten as a The Pythagorean cosmologyaround 450 was BC by advanced c Swinburne University of Technology, 2010 34 OF 34 AGE P . science HET607-M05A01:Philosophers Natural Philosophy: The Ionian While the Pythagoreans,with compared their to fascination for thesuggesting numbers, Milesian models both materialists, groups that were did stillnotion trying not of practised to rely some understand on the the world supernaturalThey around forces presented them, of the first the cosmologies gods.for of later the philosophers They Universe to introduced we work live the with. in, whichIn while the wrong, next formed Activity, we a willmodern basis learn science. about the Socratic philosophers, who developed the foundations of Summary