The Nietzsche Podcast 86: Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks pt 2 - Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Democritus
Mar 5, 2024
Dive into the intriguing world of early Greek philosophers! Explore Parmenides' static reality versus Heraclitus' belief in constant change. Discover Anaxagoras' concepts of pluralism and 'nous' alongside Empedocles' theories of love and hate shaping existence. Unpack Democritus' atomistic views challenging Eleatic thought and traditional explanations of consciousness. This conversation reveals how these pre-Platonic ideas laid the groundwork for Western philosophy.
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Pre-Platonic Philosophy
- Pre-Platonic philosophers (Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus) explored the nature of existence without mythology.
- They transitioned from cosmogenies (origin stories) to cosmologies (studies of the universe's structure).
Heraclitus's Ever-living Fire
- Heraclitus's concept of an ever-living fire suggests worlds are born, flourish, and die, contradicting the conservation of matter and energy.
- This cyclical destruction and creation raises questions about non-being, central to Parmenides's philosophy.
Parmenides' Two Philosophical Periods
- Parmenides, contemporary of Heraclitus, explored being and non-being, dividing his philosophy into two periods.
- The early 'Anaximandrian' period focused on becoming, while the later period focused on pure being.