Introduction to Early Greek Philosophy and Pre-Socratic Thought

Flashcards covering key terminology, figures, and concepts from lecture notes on Pre-Socratic Greek philosophy, Miletus, and Pythagoreanism.

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

A podcast series designed to present an inclusive account of philosophical history beyond standard Euro-focused narratives.

Cuneiform Script

An ancient system of writing used by the ancient priestess and poet recognized as the oldest named author in recorded history.

Material Monism

A philosophical concept describing the view shared by the Milesian thinkers that all things derive from a single fundamental substance.

Archae

The term used by early Greek philosophers to denote the primary origin, source, or fundamental element of existing things.

Aperon

Anaximander's term for the indefinite, eternal, and moving fundamental substance out of which all heavens and worlds arise.

Simplicius

A later commentator on Aristotle's Physics who preserved a direct fragment and testimony of Anaximander's writing.

Gore Vidal

The 20th-century author of the historical novel Creation, which features interactions between ancient figures including Democritus, Zoroaster, Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Confucius.

Pythagoras

An ancient Greek philosopher born in Samos around $570\text{ BCE}$ who moved to Croton in southern Italy around $530\text{ BCE}$ and established a secretive community.

Orphism

A religious sect devoted to Dionysus that emphasized soul purification and influenced Pythagorean thought.

Accusmodicoi

A division of Pythagoreans who focused strictly on preserving and practicing the specific oral rules and daily lifestyle instructions of Pythagoras.

Mathematicoi

A division of Pythagoreans who pursued study and intellectual activity as the primary means to purify the soul.

Transmigration of Souls

The Pythagorean and Orphic doctrine holding that upon death, an immortal soul is reborn into a new body.

Harmonia

The Pythagorean concept referring to the structural connections and interplay between parts that give order to the cosmos.