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    CC Presocratics

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    The Pre-Socratics were early Greek philosophers who speculated on the origin and nature of the universe. Studying them has value because they introduced concepts like humidity and condensation, initiated rational inquiry using mathematics, and explored fundamental philosophical problems of being and change that inspired later thinkers. However, their philosophy was very abstract, the thinkers contradicted each other, and most of their writings are lost fragments.

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    CC Presocratics

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    kottosteve9
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    The Pre-Socratics were early Greek philosophers who speculated on the origin and nature of the universe. Studying them has value because they introduced concepts like humidity and condensation, initiated rational inquiry using mathematics, and explored fundamental philosophical problems of being and change that inspired later thinkers. However, their philosophy was very abstract, the thinkers contradicted each other, and most of their writings are lost fragments.

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    CC PRESOCRATICS

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    The Pre-Socratics were early Greek philosophers who speculated on the origin and nature of the universe. Studying them has value because they introduced concepts like humidity and condensation, initiated rational inquiry using mathematics, and explored fundamental philosophical problems of being and change that inspired later thinkers. However, their philosophy was very abstract, the thinkers contradicted each other, and most of their writings are lost fragments.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    17 views2 pages

    CC Presocratics

    Uploaded by

    kottosteve9
    The Pre-Socratics were early Greek philosophers who speculated on the origin and nature of the universe. Studying them has value because they introduced concepts like humidity and condensation, initiated rational inquiry using mathematics, and explored fundamental philosophical problems of being and change that inspired later thinkers. However, their philosophy was very abstract, the thinkers contradicted each other, and most of their writings are lost fragments.

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    LUNDI, 27 NOVEMBRE 2023

    NOM : ANOUBOUDEM KITIO INGRID


    UE : PHI 121
    MATRICULE : 23F343
    ENSEIGNANT : Dr AMOUGOU AFOUBOU

    CONTRÔLE CONTINU

    QUESTION : What interest do we have in studying the Pre-Socratics totay?

    The Pre-Socratics are Ancient Greek philosophers who existed befotre Socrates. They included the
    Milesians, Eleatics and Pythagoras, who focused their philosophical interests on speculations relating
    to certain wonders of the universe like it’s origin and nature. The issue at stake here is ; how far can
    we assert the fact that the speculative approach of the pre-Socratics are useful to us today ?

    Firstly, the Pre-Socratics tried to understand the origin of nature and to determine the physical
    principle that explains the univers. The Milesians like Thales pointed out water as the primary
    substance and Anaximenes; air. By so doing, the brought forth he concept of humidity, condensation
    and rarefraction which are subject to our everyday experimentations.

    Also, they initiated a rational approach consisting in developing mathematics as an essential


    instrument for the comprehenson of phenomenons. The philosophus Pythagoras for example
    identified numbers to be the principe of everything. According to him, everything in the univers can
    be formalised in mathematical language ; including air, water and fire as stated by the Milesians.
    Nowadays, scientists have effectually developped mathematical formulaes for every single substance.

    Lastly, the Pre-Socratics are a great source of inspiration concerning the greatest philosophical
    problems like the being, the non-being and the becoming of things. Heraclitus pointed out that
    panmobilism (universal mobility) and the universal polemos (war) lie at the basis of every being. He
    held that : « being is not and non-being is », since everything is subjected to a perpetual change.
    Permanides on the other hand held that : « being is and non-being is not». In support to this affirmation
    of his, he held that everything must be equal to itself and be bounded by the principle of identity.
    These doctrines later on served as a reviving source for great philosophers including Plato.
    However, the Pre-Socratic philosophy though very instrumental can be refuted in many ways :

    Firstly, their philosophy was primarily and essentially cosmological. They did not consider the
    study of human and social issues to be significant but rather chosed a field of studies tht was too
    abstract and metaphysical, and went beyond the understanding of the ordinary man.

    Again, their thoughts were highly contradictory. They contradicted each other more than they
    agreed with one another. The views of Heraclitus and Permanides for example on the notion of being
    and change were widely contradictoty, The first holding on non-being and change and the second
    holdng on being and changelessness.

    Lastly, the Pre-Socratic philosophy was largely non-documented and fragmentary. They wrote
    down very little of their ideas in the form of fragments which are highly incomprehensible. Nowadays,
    most of these written fragments have been lost. Hence, the ambiguous nature of the Pre-Socratic
    philosophy.

    In conclusion, despite the short comings of the Pre-Socratic philosophers, they can be credited
    for being the first philosophers that laid a valuable foundation for the advancement of ideas of
    subsequent philosophers and scientists.

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