Introduction
The period of philosophy called pre-Socratic is the one in which the first philosophers and the first works of philosophy appear, between the 9th and 6th centuries BC
Although many philosophers lived and produced in the period before Socrates, the pre-Socratic school also defines a tendency of thought that circulated among thinkers who lived in the same period as Socrates.
What was the pre-Socratic period?
The pre-Socratic period refers to a period in the history of philosophy that encompasses thinkers who preceded Socrates, one of the most influential philosophers of Ancient Greece. This period extends roughly from the 6th century BC to the end of the 5th century BC and is marked by a series of philosophers who sought to understand the nature of the world and the origin of things through reason and observation, in contrast to traditional mythological explanations.
Pre-Socratic philosophers were diverse in their approaches and theories, but they shared an interest in investigating the causes and principles underlying reality.
What are the main characteristics of the pre-Socratic period?
The pre-Socratic period is marked by several distinctive features that influenced Western philosophy and laid the foundation for later philosophical thought. Some of the main characteristics of this period include:
1. Search for the origin and nature of the world: Pre-Socratic philosophers were interested in understanding the origin and nature of the universe and the things that make it up. They sought rational and natural explanations to understand the world, in contrast to traditional mythological explanations.
2. Rationality and observation: The pre-Socratics emphasized the importance of reason and observation in understanding the world. They believed that it was possible to achieve reliable knowledge through rational investigation and direct observation of nature.
3. Diversity of theories: Pre-Socratic philosophers presented a variety of theories and perspectives on the fundamental nature of reality. Each philosopher had his own view of what was the basic principle or fundamental element that constituted the universe.
4. Argumentation and debate: The Presocratics often engaged in debates and philosophical discussions, refuting each other’s ideas and constructing new theories based on logical arguments.
5. Introduction of abstract concepts: Some pre-Socratic philosophers began to introduce more abstract concepts, such as the “mind” (nous) of Anaxagoras, which signaled an attempt to understand not only physical matter but also organizing and intellectual principles.
6. Ethical and cosmological concern: In addition to cosmological issues, some pre-Socratics also explored ethical and moral issues, although these aspects were not as prominent as in later philosophies.
What is the object of study of pre-Socratic philosophy?
Philosophers of this period sought to understand the natural aspects of the world, called physis. They sought to identify and understand what the first elements were, which gave rise to all other things in the world. The connection between nature and natural elements were the most important and striking factor within pre-Socratic works.
As emergence of Philosophy, explanations became increasingly rational, that is, based on reason, to the detriment of explanations that were not fantastic or mythological.
Who was Socrates?
Socrates was an Athenian philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC, considered one of the founders of the Western philosophical model. There is little historical information about his life and career. The main ones are known from the reports of their students: through the well-known dialogues of Plato and Xenophon, and through the plays of Aristophanes.
Xenophon describes Socrates as dedicated to what he considered the most important philosophical method: maieutics. Maieutics is a method that understands that truth is part of every human being and is developed in every individual from the moment they answer a series of questions, apparently simple, but extremely important for self-knowledge and the conception of truth.
According to reports, Socrates is the creator of the teaching technique called the Socratic method. The method’s principle is the construction of each individual’s knowledge. For the philosopher, the disciples’ knowledge was built from the exchange of experiences, from dialogue. According to Socrates, through dialogue, it was possible to reflect more deeply on one’s own statements and conclusions.
The method of transmitting knowledge, widely used by a series of philosophers, did not allow disciples to construct their own knowledge, only to propagate the ideas of their tutors.
What were the pre-Socratic currents or schools?
The pre-Socratic period is divided into some important currents of thought. Although some questions and surveys are different and specific, all currents have as their main characteristic the search for understanding facts, events, and elements based on natural questions, that is, all knowledge was aimed at the natural explanation of phenomena. The main schools of thought of the period are:
1. Ionian school: the thinkers of this school considered the universe to be static and sought explanations for the emergence of the world and all matters from a single fundamental and essential element, called arché. The philosophers of this school did not always consider the same element as forming all things.
2. Italic school: a school developed in southern Italy. Its thinkers understood that mathematics and numbers were the elements responsible for the essence of things.
3. Atomistic school: its thinkers developed the idea that the joining of several elements, the atoms, is what forms objects.
4. Eleatic school: the main thought developed is the idea of unity and immutability. A thing exists, it cannot become, it just exists. Unity is linked to religion, the idea that God is unique, immortal, and immutable.
Who are the main pre-Socratic philosophers?
Each pre-Socratic school has some prominent philosophers, with greater dissemination of their ideas, works, and thoughts.
1. Ionian school
The main names of this school are Tales of Miletus, Anaximenes of Miletus, Anaximander of Miletus, and Heraclitus of Ephesus. Everyone thought of natural elements as being fundamental to the formation of all things, but they did not agree on what that element would be.
For Thales, the element would be the water. According to Anaximander, it would be the Apeiron, an element that allows the union and separation of bodies. According to Anaximenes, the element would be air, while for Heraclitus, the element would be fire. Heraclitus also stated that nothing in the world is static, everything is constantly changing.
Italic school
The main philosopher is Pythagoras of Samos, which stated that the numbers, the physical and mathematics, combined with mystical elements, are responsible for the formation of the elements.
Atomistic school
The idea of the atom, as an indivisible particle that forms the elements, was developed by Leucippus and worked on in depth by Democritus.
Eleatic school
The main names of this school are Xenophanes of Colophon, Parmenides and Zeno of Eleia . Xenophanes developed the idea of unity focused on religion. For him, the world was formed by a single, eternal God who does not change over time. This idea was later developed by Parmenides. Zeno, in turn, developed the idea that all movement is an illusion.