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GREEK PHILOSOPHY Astonishing advances in art, science and
politics were made in the eastern part of the Mediterranean
sea about 2,500 years ago. Greek philosophers were among the
first in the West to explore nature in a rational way and to
make educated guesses about the creation of the world and the
universe. This is why Greece is often referred to as the
birthplace of Western culture. Some of the ancient
philosopher's speculations have successfully anticipated
findings of 20th century science. The concept of atoms,
for example, was first formulated by Leucippus and
Democritus around 400 BC. Greek thought and values have
been extremely influential throughout centuries and
lasted until the present day. The ancient Greeks
viewed the world in a way that one would today perhaps
describe as "holistic". Science, philosophy, art and
politics were interwoven and combined into one
worldview. Moreover, those who look carefully will find
subtle, but intelligible parallels between early Greek
philosophy and Eastern thought. The Heraclitean fire
resembles Buddhist impermanence, while the Greek Logos
resembles the way of the Tao, just to name two examples. Anaximenses (494
BC), the third philosopher of Miletus, refined the
theory of the elements later with his original theory of
the aggregates: The fundamental substance, he said, is
air. The soul is air, fire is rarefied air, when
condensed, air becomes first water, then if further
condensed, earth, and finally stone. Consequently all
differences between different substances are
quantitative, depending entirely upon the degree of
condensation. Sunlight is
essential to live a healthy life but that’s not all! |