EMPEDOCLES OF ACRAGAS

Empedocles was a presocratic philosopher who attempted to reconcile the ideas of change and permanence. He proposed that reality is composed of four eternal elements: earth, water, air, and fire. These elements themselves never change, but they combine and separate to form all things in the universe. According to Empedocles, two opposing forces govern this process: Love, which unites the elements, and Strife, which separates them. Through the interaction of these forces, the natural world undergoes cycles of creation and destruction. In this way, Empedocles explained change without denying the permanence of being, bridging the philosophies of Heraclitus and Parmenides.

Multiple Choice

1. How many elements did Empedocles propose?

Two
Four
Five
Infinite

2. What role does Love play?

It unites the elements
It destroys matter
It creates illusion
It stops change

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True / False

3. The four elements themselves never change.

True
False

4. Strife unites the elements.

True
False

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Fill in the Gap

5. Empedocles explained change through __________ cycles.

random
natural
mythical

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