Atlantis Design Diary: Heraclitus

It is time for Heraclitus. As a native a Ephesus, Heraclitus was a nobleman at birth. Heraclitus taught that everything has an opposite. Life and Death, Sin and Happiness, Success and Failure. These all existed in the world as opposites, according to Heraclitus. He also saw the great majority of human beings as lacking true understanding.

Some Teachings:

• “All things come into being through opposition, and are in flux like a river.” -- Heraclitus. Like Xenophanes, Heraclitus rejected the anthropomorphism of popular religion, but what is peculiar to Heraclitus is the sheer sweep of his vision of the world-order as a dynamic equilibrium of opposite movements.
• The life of the world-order lies in continual change.
• The tension of opposing forces which Anaximander calls “injustice” are part of the cosmic process itself; without them there would be no alteration of summer and winter. These “injustices” which the opposites commit against each other are as essential to the well-being of the whole as the reparation which they make to one another. In the eyes of the gods, therefore, they are not injustices at all, for their occurrence is necessary to the functioning of the cosmos.
• The modern humanist might take issue with Heraclitus’ sanctification of war, but it must be acknowledged that, since he turned his attention beyond explanations of natural phenomena — beyond physics — Heraclitus was in a sense the founder of Greek metaphysics, even though his successor, Parmenides, is almost universally regarded as the founder of this branch of philosophy.
  

Commentary: Heraclitus was correct to say that we live in a world of opposite forces. Lehi revealed this fact in the Book of Mormon, in second Nephi:

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
2nd Nephi 2:11-12.

However, Heraclitus was only half-right in saying that every man shared the same soul. It is true that we do, however, as much as we are connected, everyone has a separate and distinct personality. And as much as we are separate from each other, we are all connected. I'm you and you're me; yet I have a different personality from you so that you can gain perspective on your own life.

External Links:

• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy's article on Heraclitus.
• Heraclitus' highlights on Hypatia lovers dot com.
• Wikipedia's entry on Heraclitus.
• Some of Heraclitus' quotes.
  

Dungeons and Dragons Research Notes: Heraclitus

A native of Ephesus, Hereclitus lived from 540 B.C. to 475 B.C. Hereclitus was a Greek philosopher of aristocratic birth. The aristocratic philosopher supposed that change is the only constant in the Universe, and argued against a Universe of permanency and no change. Through his efforts, Hereclitus became the bridge of the Ioanian school to the philosophy of Parmenides. He eventually critizes his opponents for not seeing unity.

Hereclitus' Accomplishments:

• Hereclitus proposed a theory of knowledge. He believed that understanding the Word would bring understanding.
• Hereclitus proposed a theory that the Universe is constantly changing, and through change its in equilibrium. Hereclitus held that (1) everything is constantly changing and (2) opposite things are identical, so that (3) everything is and is not at the same time.
• Hereclitus critized the Ionian school of philosophy.
• Herclitus proposed a natural, physical theory.
• Hereclitus theorized some moral and political theories.

External Links:

• Hereclitus biography and Philosography on Hypatia lovers dot com.
• Internet Encyclopedia's article of Hereclitus.

Research: Anaximander

The Father of recorded philosophy, Anaximander of Miletos was Thales' student. One of the pre-socratic philosophers, Anaximander was the philosopher who wrote his discoveries down while Thales did not. Anaximander succeeded Thales over the Milesian school of thought and counted Anaxamenes and Pythagoras as his pupils.

Though we know little of his life, Anaximander gave to the world such concepts as:

• The concept of the infinite Universe.
• The Obliquity of the eliptic.
• The first attempt to describe the motion of the Planets (which was eventually superceded by Sir Issac Newton by way of Calculus.)
• He tried to explain the Cosmos in a natural way, without using any mythological reference. A "godless" cosmology.
• Gave the first attempt to describe the Meteorological phenomenae such as thunder and lightning in natural process other than through the action of the god Zeus (pronounced "Zevs").
• Anaximander also speculated on a non-miraculous origin of Mankind. While still abiogenesis, his theories will lead to Louie Pasteur's discovery of Biogenesis (Life begets Life).
• Anaximander is said to pioneer the discipline of Cartography. Cartography is the discipline of drawing maps of the geosphere. Which is probably why Jason used an astrograph to sail to Colchis instead of a cartograph.
• Finally, Anaximander invented the Gnomon. This little invention consists of was simply a vertical pillar or rod mounted on a horizontal plane. The position of its shadow on the plane indicated the time of day. As it moves through its apparent course, the sun draws a curve with the tip of the projected shadow, which is shortest at noon, when pointing due south. The variation in the tip’s position at noon indicates the solar time and the seasons; the shadow is longest on the winter solstice and shortest on the summer solstice.

  However, the invention of the gnomon itself cannot be attributed to Anaximander because its use, as well as the division of days into twelve parts, came from the Babylonians. It is they, according to Herodotus' Histories (II, 109), who gave the Greeks the art of time measurement. It is likely that Anaximander was not the first to determine the solstices, because no calculation is necessary. On the other hand, equinoxes do not correspond to the middle point between the positions during solstices, as the Babylonians thought. As the Suda seems to suggest, it is very likely that Anaximander, with his knowledge of geometry, became the first Greek to accurately determine the equinoxes.

Anaximander's major contribution to Western thought was that he developed the framework with which early Greek Philosophy managed to develop from start to finish. This is something that Chinese philosophers like Mencius and Confucius would do in their own Civilization. This framework started Western Civilization on a course that would explain the World through basic observation and logical reasoning -- a search for the Truth without relying on superstition.

External Links:

• Anaximander, the philosopher who developed a non-mythical Cosmology.
• Wikipedia entry on Anaximander.
• Anaximander's biography at Science World.

Dungeons and Dragons Research: Thales

Thales is one of the first Natural Philosophers. He traveled extensively in Egypt and Mesopotamia and brought back Geometry and Astronomy with him. The Ancient Egyptians also taught him the principles of Astronomy they learned from a very wise man in the past. Thales is famous for laying down the basics of Geometry in Greek terms. Incuding a theorem that is still called Thales' Theorem today. It states that if the vertex of an angle moves in a semi-circle, and the end points of its arms remain at the end-points of the diameter, then the angle remains unaltered at the right angle.

The circle of this construction is known as the circle of Thales. Further, Thales also said that:

1. When two straight lines intersect one another the opposite angles are equal, and . . .
2. That two triangles having two angles and one side that are respectively equal are themselves equal; and .
3. that the sum of the angles in a triangle is equal to two right angles, and . . .
4. That is a circle is bisected by it's diameter, and . . .
5. that the angles at the base of an isoseles triangle are equal.

Thales influenced Greek Mathematics and Western Civilization by explaining the foundations of geometry and trigonometry. In his old age, he went by the name sophos, which means "sage." Thales spoke often of living a virtuous life and encouraged everyone to live to be true to themselves. His most famous quote: "The most difficult thing to do is to know thyself." -- Thales

External Links:

• Thales, the first philosopher
• Wikipedia entry on Thales.
• The internet encyclopedia of Philosophy's entry on Thales.
• A summary of Thales from the MacTutor of Mathemetical History.

Research: Hesiod

A early Greek Poet, Hesiod represents the first step in Hellenic Philosophy. Hesiod lived during the Greek Archaic Age (the Dark Ages); which happened immediately after the fall of Troy (located in Turkey). Hesiod wrote the Poem the Theogony, which is a collection of the Greek Masculine Creation Myth that everyone recognizes.

Hesiod's writing deals with creation ex niliho (out of nothing), which is in direct conflict with the Orphic Creation Myth -- which features the Goddess Eurynome and the cosmic serpent Ophion. To Hesiod, the Universe comes into being by itself. The Theogony points are:

• Creation of Chaos.
• Creation of Earth
• Tartaros
• Eros (Love)
  
• Eurebus
• Night
• Atmosphere
• Day
• Uranos
• Mountains
• Sea
• Ocean
• then the Titans and the other offspring
  

Hesiod's Theogony said that the Universe created itself out of nothing without a Creator. Therefore, the Theogony skips the question of a Creator. The Orphic Myth, however, doesn't. Eurynome is the feminine creator of the universe. However if the Greeks knew that there was something that created Eurynome, they've forgotten him, her, or it. The Theogony is considered a precursor to Greek philosophy. Hesiod is the first step towards Hellenic brilliance and learning.