Pre-Socratic Views of Self, Essence, and Reality: Thales vs Democritus

Flashcards covering Thales' water archê, monism, cosmology, and Democritus' atomism, as described in the lecture notes.

Who is traditionally regarded as the first philosopher for breaking from myth and using rational inquiry?

Thales of Miletus.

Which substance did Thales propose as the archê (fundamental principle) of nature?

Water.

According to Aristotle, what did Thales declare to be the nature of all things?

That the nature of all things is water.

What philosophical stance describes Thales's belief that one substance explains all phenomena?

Monism (the belief in a single underlying essence).

How did Thales imagine the Earth in his cosmology?

As a flat disk floating on a vast sea of water.

What property of water did Thales observe that supported its primacy?

Water can change forms: vapor, liquid, and ice.

Did Thales attribute natural phenomena to gods in his cosmology?

No; he sought natural causes and did not acknowledge the gods.

How did Thales account for earthquakes?

By the earth rocking on the water beneath it, not Poseidon's wrath.

Who is Democritus and why is he significant?

Democritus of Abdera, a pioneer of atomism.

When did Democritus live?

460–370 BCE.

What is Democritus known for proposing in his philosophy?

Atomism—the existence of an infinite plurality of tiny elements (atoms).

How do Democritus's atomism and Thales's monism differ in their view of reality?

Democritus proposes many atoms; Thales proposes a single underlying essence (water).

What common methodological shift connects Thales and Democritus?

Both sought natural explanations for reality rather than myth.

What broader historical significance did Thales's approach have?

He is regarded as the first philosopher for breaking from myth and using rational inquiry.

What general theme describes the evolution from Thales to Democritus in early Greek thought?

From a single underlying essence (monism) to a plurality of fundamental elements (atomism).