7 representatives of the PRESOCRATIC philosophy

The representatives of the pre-Socratic philosophy were Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides and Empedocles. In a Teacher we tell you.

Presocratic philosophy marks a change and a step towards modernity by advancing towards a new method of knowledge, that of reason (the logos). A method that left in the background the explanations that gave the foundation and the causes of everything to the myths, being the origin of everything the divinities and the heroes. These philosophers thus face tradition, considering philosophy as a discipline focused on analyzing and criticizing reality.

In this lesson of unPROFESOR.com we show you who were the representatives of pre-socratic philosophy more important.

Before talking about the representatives of pre-Socratic philosophy, let's get to know these ancient philosophers who marked the history of our thought better.

Although presocratics defended different philosophical theories, held a series of common elements that we review with you:

• The physical or nature It is explained by the elements that constitute it, being the place where the different constitutive principles of things arise: water, air, fire or atoms, among other principles or arje.
• He logos or rational explanations replace the myth.
• He human being is part of nature and not its center. The principles or arjes They explain both the origin and nature of the world and of the human being.
• They all share the idea of hylozoism or idea that the primordial substance that constitutes all things has in itself a force that moves it.
• The world is one subject to an order despite seeming like a multiple and changing reality.

In unProfesor we discover the main characteristics of the presocratics.

Presocratic philosophers lived in ancient Greece before Socrates between the 6th to 5th centuries BC. c. Among the main representatives of Pre-Socratic philosophy, the following stand out:

Thales of Miletus (c. 624 B.C. c. - c. 546 B.C. C.)

Thales of Miletus was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer from the ancient Greek city of Miletus in Asia Minor. He is considered as the father of western philosophy, besides being one of the Seven Sages of Greece.

Thales developed his research in the field of Geometry, in addition to believing that the universe could be explained by natural phenomena, instead of resorting to the supernatural as the origin of all. Thales is also considered to have predicted a solar eclipse in the year 585 BC, the proof being that natural phenomena could be predicted and understood simply by resorting to observation scientific.

One of his key phrases was "Know yourself"; the best way to understand the world around us. His influence was notable on other philosophers such as Anaximander or Anacimenes, all early philosophers of the Ionian school.

Anaximander (c. 610 B.C. DC. 546 B.C. C.)

Also from Miletus, Anaximander of Miletus he was another of the representatives of presocratic philosophy. He was a philosopher and astronomer who believed that the origin of all things was unlimited and indefinite, something the philosopher called "apeiron".

Anaximenes (ca. 590 B.C. c. – between 528 and 525 a. C.)

Disciple of Thales, Anaximenes he held that the basic principle of all things was air. A primordial substance that does not undergo alteration giving birth to fire, earth and water. Everything emanates and returns to the air and is an eternal substance that gives life and explains all things.

Pythagoras (Samos c. 570-Metapontus, c. 490 B.C. C.)

PythagorasHe is well known for being the author of the mathematical theorem that establishes the relationship in Euclidean geometry between the three sides of a right triangle. Regarding his facet as a philosopher, Pythagoras believed in the existence of a divine principle that governed the entire universe. Mathematics were the key to understanding reality.

Heraclitus (Ephesus, c. 540 B.C. C.-ibid., c. 480 B.C. C.)

heraclitus he is another of the most important representatives of the pre-socratic philosophy. He established that change was the constant of the universe, fire being the basic principle of all things. He was one of the great philosophers of ancient Greece and, like the philosophers of Miletus, pointed out how the origin of the Universe was not focused solely on religion.

Parmenides of Elea (530 B.C. c. and 515 B.C. C.)

Parmenides of Elea he held that reality was immutable and immovable, all change and all movement being an illusion. The elements that made up the universe were cold and heat. A mixture that is also present in men, depending on intelligence.

Empedocles (Agrigento, 5th century B.C. C.)

Influenced by Parmenides, Empedocles he believed that reality was made up of four basic elements: fire, water, earth and air. Furthermore, according to this pre-Socratic philosopher, the universe had been created by the interaction of two opposing forces, love and hate.