What Presocratic Philosophy tried to explain?
Presocratic philosophy refers to the body of philosophical ideas developed in ancient Greece between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, before Socrates. These thinkers sought to explain the origin and functioning of the universe through reason (logos) rather than through mythological narratives (mythos).
One of their main concerns was the search for the archē, the fundamental principle or origin of all things. Presocratic philosophers aimed to provide rational and natural explanations of reality, focusing on nature (phýsis), change, permanence, and the structure of the cosmos. Their ideas laid the foundations of Western science and philosophy.
Among the most important presocratic thinkers were Thales of Miletus, who proposed water as the archē; Anaximander, who introduced the concept of the apeiron, the indefinite or boundless; and Anaximenes, who identified air as the primary substance. Heraclitus emphasized constant change, famously stating that everything flows, while Parmenides argued that true being is one and unchanging. Empedocles suggested that reality is composed of four elements—earth, water, air, and fire—and Democritus developed the theory of atoms as the basic constituents of matter.
Reading Comprehension - Multiple Choice
1. What characterizes presocratic philosophy?
2. What does the term archē mean?
True / False
3. Presocratic philosophers relied mainly on myth.
4. Heraclitus believed that reality is in constant change.
5. Democritus proposed that everything is made of atoms.
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