Shahrast¯An¯I on the Atom and Continuity
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Time Atomism and Ash'arite Origins for Cartesian Occasionalism Revisited
Time Atomism and Ash‘arite Origins for Cartesian Occasionalism Revisited Richard T. W. Arthur Department of Philosophy McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario Canada Time Atomism and Ash’arite Origins for Occasionalism Revisited Introduction In gauging the contributions of Asian thinkers to the making of modern “Western” philosophy and science, one often encounters the difficulty of establishing a direct influence. Arun Bala and George Gheverghese Joseph (2007) have termed this “the transmission problem”. One can establish a precedence, as well as a strong probability that an influence occurred, without being able to find concrete evidence for it. In the face of this difficulty (which appears to occur quite generally in the history of thought) I suggest here that the influence of earlier thinkers does not always occur through one person reading others’ work and becoming persuaded by their arguments, but by people in given epistemic situations being constrained by certain historically and socially conditioned trends of thought—for which constraining and conditioned trends of thought I coin the term "epistemic vectors"—and opportunistically availing themselves of kindred views from other traditions. As a case in point, I will examine here the claim that the doctrine of Occasionalism arose in seventeenth century Europe as a result of an influence from Islamic theology. In particular, the Ash’arite school of kalâm presented occasionalism as a corollary of time atomism, and since to many scholars the seventeenth century occasionalism of Cartesian thinkers such as De la Forge and Cordemoy has appeared as a direct corollary of the atomism of time attributed to Descartes in his Meditations, Ash’arite time atomism is often cited as the likely source of Cartesian Occasionalism. -
Thales of Miletus Sources and Interpretations Miletli Thales Kaynaklar Ve Yorumlar
Thales of Miletus Sources and Interpretations Miletli Thales Kaynaklar ve Yorumlar David Pierce October , Matematics Department Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul http://mat.msgsu.edu.tr/~dpierce/ Preface Here are notes of what I have been able to find or figure out about Thales of Miletus. They may be useful for anybody interested in Thales. They are not an essay, though they may lead to one. I focus mainly on the ancient sources that we have, and on the mathematics of Thales. I began this work in preparation to give one of several - minute talks at the Thales Meeting (Thales Buluşması) at the ruins of Miletus, now Milet, September , . The talks were in Turkish; the audience were from the general popu- lation. I chose for my title “Thales as the originator of the concept of proof” (Kanıt kavramının öncüsü olarak Thales). An English draft is in an appendix. The Thales Meeting was arranged by the Tourism Research Society (Turizm Araştırmaları Derneği, TURAD) and the office of the mayor of Didim. Part of Aydın province, the district of Didim encompasses the ancient cities of Priene and Miletus, along with the temple of Didyma. The temple was linked to Miletus, and Herodotus refers to it under the name of the family of priests, the Branchidae. I first visited Priene, Didyma, and Miletus in , when teaching at the Nesin Mathematics Village in Şirince, Selçuk, İzmir. The district of Selçuk contains also the ruins of Eph- esus, home town of Heraclitus. In , I drafted my Miletus talk in the Math Village. Since then, I have edited and added to these notes. -
The Mathematical Anti-Atomism of Plato's Timaeus
The mathematical anti-atomism of Plato’s Timaeus Luc Brisson, Salomon Ofman To cite this version: Luc Brisson, Salomon Ofman. The mathematical anti-atomism of Plato’s Timaeus. Ancient Philoso- phy, Philosophy Documentation Center, In press. hal-02923266 HAL Id: hal-02923266 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02923266 Submitted on 26 Aug 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. The mathematical anti-atomism of Plato’s Timaeus Luc Brisson Salomon Ofman Centre Jean Pépin CNRS-Institut mathématique de Jussieu- CNRS-UMR 8230 Paris Rive Gauche École normale supérieure Sorbonne Université Paris Sciences Lettres Paris Université Abstract. In Plato’s eponymous dialogue, Timaeus, the main character presents the universe as an almost perfect sphere filled by tiny invisible particles having the form of four regular polyhedrons. At first glance, such a construction may seem close to an atomic theory. However, one does not find any text in Antiquity tying Timaeus’ cosmology to the atomists, and Aristotle made a clear distinction between Plato and the latter. Despite the cosmology in the Timaeus is so far apart from the one of the atomists, Plato is commonly presented in contemporary literature as some sort of atomist, sometimes as supporting a so-called form of ‘mathematical atomism’. -
The Problem: the Theory of Ideas in Ancient Atomism and Gilles Deleuze
Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2013 The rP oblem: The Theory of Ideas in Ancient Atomism and Gilles Deleuze Ryan J. Johnson Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Johnson, R. (2013). The rP oblem: The Theory of Ideas in Ancient Atomism and Gilles Deleuze (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/706 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE PROBLEM: THE THEORY OF IDEAS IN ANCIENT ATOMISM AND GILLES DELEUZE A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College & Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Ryan J. Johnson May 2014 Copyright by Ryan J. Johnson 2014 ii THE PROBLEM: THE THEORY OF IDEAS IN ANCIENT ATOMISM AND GILLES DELEUZE By Ryan J. Johnson Approved December 6, 2013 _______________________________ ______________________________ Daniel Selcer, Ph.D Kelly Arenson, Ph.D Associate Professor of Philosophy Assistant Professor of Philosophy (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) ______________________________ John Protevi, Ph.D Professor of Philosophy (Committee Member) ______________________________ ______________________________ James Swindal, Ph.D. Ronald Polansky, Ph.D. Dean, McAnulty College & Graduate Chair, Department of Philosophy School of Liberal Arts Professor of Philosophy Professor of Philosophy iii ABSTRACT THE PROBLEM: THE THEORY OF IDEAS IN ANCIENT ATOMISM AND GILLES DELEUZE By Ryan J. Johnson May 2014 Dissertation supervised by Dr. -
Neoplatonism, Then And
NEOPLATONISM, THEN AND NOW Date: 2-11-2014 OPENING WORDS Earlier this year, I undertook a twelve-week philosophy course at Sydney Community College, in Rozelle. It was a fairly easy- going, yet exhaustive course that saw us cover everything from the pre-Socratic philosophers of ancient Greece, right up to the musings of Jürgen Habermas in the twentieth century. We covered Descartes and Spinoza, Hegel and the Hindus, amongst others – the span of time we examined stretched over more than 2,500 years. Not at all bad for a course that only lasted three months. Needless to say, I found a lot to think about in this time, and in the months since – not least of all, which philosophical traditions I find myself most agreeing with. In the months since the course concluded, I have worked out that I am much more a rationalist than an empiricist, certainly much more a virtue ethicist than a consequentialist, and almost certainly a monist, rather than a dualist (that is to say, in a metaphysical sense, I find myself agreeing more with Spinoza than Descartes, and notably more with Hinduism than Christianity in its view of God and the universe). Though, I must admit, I’m still not certain whether my own personal philosophy fits in more with the analytic or continental tradition – I’ll have to work that one out. Seriously, though, I find philosophy fascinating – it is, after all, the study of and attempt to make sense of the general and fundamental problems of all existence, problems that every human being (provided they’re bothered to think about it) has grappled with since time immemorial, and continues to do so today. -
Neoplatonism in Orthodox Christianity and Islam and Its Repercussions in Byzantine and Seljuk Architectures a Thesis Submitted T
NEOPLATONISM IN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS IN BYZANTINE AND SELJUK ARCHITECTURES A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ORÇUN SENA SARACOĞLU IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE JULY 2021 Approval of the thesis: NEOPLATONISM IN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS IN BYZANTINE AND SELJUK ARCHITECTURES submitted by ORÇUN SENA SARACOĞLU in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History of Architecture, the Graduate School of Social Sciences of Middle East Technical University by, Prof. Dr. Yaşar KONDAKÇI Dean Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Fatma Cânâ BİLSEL Head of Department Department of Architecture Prof. Dr. Ali Uzay PEKER Supervisor Department of Architecture Examining Committee Members: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tolga BOZKURT (Head of the Examining Committee) Ankara University Department of Art History Prof. Dr. Ali Uzay PEKER (Supervisor) Middle East Technical University Department of Architecture Assist. Prof. Dr. Pelin YONCACI ARSLAN Middle East Technical University Department of Architecture PLAGIARISM I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name: ORÇUN SENA SARACOĞLU Signature: iii ABSTRACT NEOPLATONISM IN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS IN BYZANTINE AND SELJUK ARCHITECTURES SARACOĞLU, Orçun Sena M.A., The Department of History of Architecture Supervisor: Prof. -
Weight in Greek Atomism
Philosophia, 45, 2015, pp. 76-99 WEIGHT IN GREEK ATOMISM 1. Introduction The testimonia concerning weight in early Greek atomism appear to contradict one another. Some reports assert that the atoms do have weight, while others outright deny weight as a property of the atoms. A common solution to this apparent contradiction divides the testimonia into two groups.The first group describes atoms within a ÎfiÛÌÔ˜, where they have weight; the second group describes atoms outside of a ÎfiÛÌÔ˜, where they are weightless1.Important to advocates of this solution is the δνς, or vortex2.The vortex, they claim, fulfills a crucial role in the ascription of weight to atoms, and detailed accounts are offered to explain how its rotation and consequent effects reconcile the otherwise conflicting reports. Despite its endorsement by many notable scholars, I am sympathetic with those who question the tenability of this interpretive solution3. Suspicions tend 1. D. FURLEY,The Greek Theory of the Infinite Universe, Journal of the History of Ideas, 42, 1981, pp. 571-585, at pp. 572-573 helpfully reminds his reader that the Greek word ÎfiÛÌÔ˜ (and compare the Latin mundus) refers to a limited, organized system, bounded by the stars. The universe as a whole, by contrast, is referred to by Greek writers as Ùe ÄÓ (and compare the Latin phrases omne quod est, omne immensum and so forth). For those Greek writers who subscribed to an infinite universe, then, a ÎfiÛÌÔ˜ represents the bounded area beyond which begins the rest of the infinite universe.And compare the following lines from Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.73-75: ergo vivida vis animi pervicit et extra processit longe flammantia moenia mundi atque omne immensum peragravit mente animoque; «And so his mind’s might and vigor prevailed, and on he marched far beyond the blazing battlements of the world, in thought and understanding journeying all through the measureless universe» (SMITH trans.). -
The Ionian Program B
1 THE IONIAN PROGRAM B This man [Thales] is supposed to be the originator of philosophy, and from him the Ionian school gets its name. It became the longest tradition in philosophy. (Ps.-Plutarch Placita 1.3.1) ODAY MILETUS is a mound rising above a flat plain dotted with olive trees. On the crest of the mound stands a Roman-era theater, Tand off to the east some stately marble facades line a swampy de pression that is the remainder of a once proud seaport on the Aegean, from which little merchant ships sailed to far-off colonies in the Black Sea, the central Mediterranean, and the Nile laden with amphorai of olive oil from the ancestors of today’s orchards. With her three harbors and a numerous progeny of daughter colonies, Miletus was the “jewel of Ionia,”1 and she counted among her citizens not only wealthy traders but also wise men whose names have long outlived their native city. For it was here that Western philosophy and science were born, in the first days of the sixth century BC. The little ships carried with their perishable car goes words that would echo across the Mediterranean Sea and eventually around the world. Miletus was the most illustrious of a chain of city-states dotting the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea, colonies of Greeks from the Ionian tribe, who gave the name Ionia to their coastline.2 The first prose books were written in their alphabet and dialect, and their culture combined the best of a resurgent Greek civilization, recently emerged from a dark age,3 with borrowings from Egypt and the Middle East. -
Pre-Socratic Philosophy Vs. Cutting-Edge Physics)
2017 HAWAII UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING, ARTS, MATHEMATICS & EDUCATION JUNE 8 - 10, 2017 HAWAII PRINCE HOTEL WAIKIKI, HONOLULU, HAWAII NATURE EXPLAINED NATURALLY (PRE-SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHY VS. CUTTING-EDGE PHYSICS) NICOLAIDES, DEMETRIS DIVISION OF NATURAL SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE NEW JERSEY Dr. Demetris Nicolaides Division of Natural Science and Mathematics Bloomfield College New Jersey Nature Explained Naturally (Pre-Socratic Philosophy vs. Cutting-Edge Physics) Synopsis: The scientific theories of the pre-Socratics, natural philosophers from the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, were extraordinary! What were they and how do they measure up with our sophisticated mind-bending modern science after two and a half millennia of scientific progress? The answer will be surprising—scientists today are still pondering the fundamental problems raised twenty- five hundred years ago. Dr. Demetris Nicolaides Professor of Physics Natural Science and Mathematics Bloomfield College, NJ 07003, USA. NATURE EXPLAINED NATURALLY (Pre-Socratic Philosophy vs. Cutting-Edge Physics) ABSTRACT Our desire to understand nature is millennial old. It began to develop as our species transitioned from its nomadic hunting-gathering lifestyle to its settled way of life, about ten thousand years ago. Soon, this critical change in lifestyle caused the culturally explosive birth of civilization, also known as the Neolithic Revolution, a phenomenal event that triggered a wealth of new pursuits. With civilization came the remarkable birth of religion and the development of mythological worldviews. Thus nature, initially, was seen as a chaos of random, unpredictable, and incomprehensible phenomena attributed to mysterious supernatural forces through myths, superstition, and the chancy decisions of capricious, anthropomorphic gods. -
Philosophy Before Socrates
Philosophy Before Socrates AN INTRODUCTION WITH TEXTS AND COMMENTARY SECOND EDITION Richard D. McKirahan Philosophy Before Socrates Second Edition hhac-mckirahan-00fm.inddac-mckirahan-00fm.indd i 11/3/11/3/11 110:360:36 AAMM hhac-mckirahan-00fm.inddac-mckirahan-00fm.indd iiii 11/3/11/3/11 110:360:36 AAMM Philosophy Before Socrates An Introduction with Texts and Commentary Second Edition Richard D. McKirahan Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Indianapolis/Cambridge mckirahan_tp-rev.indd 1 1/10/11 10:46:54 AM Copyright © 2010 by Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 For further information, please address Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. P.O. Box 44937 Indianapolis, Indiana 46244-0937 www.hackettpublishing.com Interior design by Dan Kirklin Composition by Scribe, Inc. (www.scribenet.com) Printed at Sheridan Books, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McKirahan, Richard D. Philosophy before Socrates : an introduction with texts and commentary / Richard D. McKirahan—2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes. ISBN 978-1-60384-182-5 (pbk.)—ISBN 978-1-60384-183-2 (cloth) 1. Pre-Socratic philosophers. I. Title. B187.5.M35 2010 182—dc22 2009040711 Adobe PDF ebook ISBN: 978-1-60384-602-8 for Voula again, as always hhac-mckirahan-00fm.inddac-mckirahan-00fm.indd v 11/3/11/3/11 110:360:36 AAMM hhac-mckirahan-00fm.inddac-mckirahan-00fm.indd vvii 11/3/11/3/11 110:360:36 AAMM Contents Preface to the First Edition ix Acknowledgments to the First Edition xi Preface to the Second Edition xii Acknowledgments to the Second Edition xiv Maps xv Abbreviations xviii 1. -
Helping Pre-Service Science Teachers to Understand Atomism Through Observations and Experiments
HELPING PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS TO UNDERSTAND ATOMISM THROUGH OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS Abstract. Current atom concept teachings Ayse Oguz Unver, haven’t reached required levels from the Sertac Arabacioglu points of both teaching methods and learn- ing attainments. With this purpose in this research atom concept is conveyed to the classroom milieu through observations and Introduction experiments related to the atom concept during historical development process The emergence of the atom as a concept is as old as the history of sci- starting with the masterpiece of, the carrier ence and philosophy and the atom itself represents a mighty and dynamic of the atom thoughts of Antiquity to our integration of knowledge. The first questioning of the origin of the universe age, Roman philosopher Lucretius, namely in the first half of the 6th century B.C. is probably due to Thales of Miletus. De Rerum Natura. The study has conducted Aristoteles called physicists Thales and the philosophers who dealt with the thoughts regarding the atom in ancient physical problem of the origin and material composition of the universe and and subsequent history under six headings lived before Plato. In this period several schools of thought were born. The teaching modules that would span over 11 most important centers became cities as Miletus (Aydın, Balat), Elea (South- weeks. The participants in the study were western Italy, Velia in the region of Campania) and Abdera (Avdira, Greece). 73 pre-service science teachers. The two- This is the context in which atomism was born, too. Such doctrine became tier multiple-choice diagnostic test was one of the most important teachings of the ancient world (Capelle, 2006). -
COMPLEX SYSTEMS: from the PRESOCRATICS to PENSION FUNDS Frédéric Patras, Víctor Planas-Bielsa
COMPLEX SYSTEMS: FROM THE PRESOCRATICS TO PENSION FUNDS Frédéric Patras, Víctor Planas-Bielsa To cite this version: Frédéric Patras, Víctor Planas-Bielsa. COMPLEX SYSTEMS: FROM THE PRESOCRATICS TO PENSION FUNDS. 2020. hal-02516859 HAL Id: hal-02516859 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02516859 Preprint submitted on 24 Mar 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. COMPLEX SYSTEMS: FROM THE PRESOCRATICS TO PENSION FUNDS FRED´ ERIC´ PATRAS AND VICTOR PLANAS-BIELSA Abstract. Complexity, as investigated in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics and the humanities requires new modes of thinking, beyond the mechanistic and reductionist standards. We investigate it mostly from a philosophical point of view, tracing back some of the relevant questions to Greek philosophers. Examples are taken from probability, eco- nomics and finance to feature typical phenomena. We detail in particular the one of defined benefit pension funds that points out at various important issues in contemporary finance and economics. Keywords: complex systems, presocratic philosophies, ionian school, atomism, logical atomism, defined benefit pension fund, card shufflings. Contents Introduction 2 1. Presocratic philosophy revisited 4 Heraclitus and the philosophy of nature 4 Parmenides and the modern idea of science 4 Democritus and atomism 5 Markov chains 6 2.