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Pluralists: Reality’s Many Elements

Pluralists: Reality’s Many Elements. Anaxagoras and Friends. Pluralists. After Parmenides, impossible to return to monist explanation of reality Reality can not be reduced to one thing Not like Monists (Thales & Co.) World is composed of many elements. Empedocles.

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Pluralists: Reality’s Many Elements

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  1. Pluralists: Reality’s Many Elements Anaxagoras and Friends

  2. Pluralists • After Parmenides, impossible to return to monist explanation of reality • Reality can not be reduced to one thing • Not like Monists (Thales & Co.) • World is composed of many elements

  3. Empedocles • Like Pythagoras (scientific+spiritual) • Expertise was medicine and math • Theory: everything made up of all 4 elements (fire, earth, air, water) • Forces of Love and Strife complementary and impact world

  4. Anaxagoras • 500-432 BC • First to introduce philosophy to Athenians (encouraged by Pericles) • Athenians prosecuted him so he left • First to suggest mind as primary cause of physical changes • First to explain moon shines by reflected light • Correct theory of eclipses, sun (hot stone) and moon (mountains and…inhabitants?)

  5. Infinitely Divisible No new reality can originate, therefore everything existed since always • reality reducible to an infinite number of “seeds.” • “seeds” contain elements of everything and are in everything (some more than others) • “Everything participates in everything“ • Particles originally in huge mass that began separating… how??

  6. Nous • Omniscient, impersonal MIND • Not mixed with anything • Gives order and constancy to universe • Source of all motion • Enters into the composition of living things • Differentiates them from dead matter

  7. Understanding • Nous is an exterior cause/understanding • Opens perspectives for Plato and Aristotle • First time idea of God as principal ruler of universe • “intelligent design?” • Yet always returns to whirlpool motion promoted by nous

  8. Legacy • Brought philosophy to Athens • Rationalist and scientific • Helped form Socrates and Athenian schools • No religious or ethical preoccupations • Set stage for Democritus

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