The History of Ancient Greece 020 The Intellectual Revolution
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Aug 15, 2016 Guest
Thales
Guest
Anaximander
Guest
Anaximenes
Guest
Pherecydes
Guest
Pythagoras
Guest
Xenophanes
Guest
Heraclitus
Guests such as Thales, Anaximander, and Pythagoras delve into the new schools of thought in the 6th century BC about existence and our role in the universe. They discuss monist beliefs, geometric theorems, mathematical contributions, and the transition from mythological to scientific explanations in ancient Greece.
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Birth of Rational Natural Philosophy
- Early Greek philosophers, called pre-socratics, focused on understanding the natural universe logically and scientifically.
- They rejected supernatural explanations, marking the beginning of rational scientific inquiry and natural philosophy.
Thales Predicts Solar Eclipse
- Thales predicted a solar eclipse in 585 BC, which is credited with stopping a battle between the Lydians and Persians.
- This prediction showed natural phenomena were not subject to divine whims but could be empirically understood.
Anaximander's Apeiron Concept
- Anaximander introduced the concept of the 'Apeiron', an indefinite and eternal primal substance.
- He posited a neutral source beyond water, solving problems of opposites and advancing abstract thought in Greek philosophy.