Saturday 26 March 2011

Fundamental Disagreements

Thales: everything is made of water
Anaximenes: the fundamental substance is air
Pythagoras: all things are numbers
Xenophanes: all things are made of earth and water
Heraclitusfire is the fundamental substance

Heraclituseverything changes
Parmenidesnothing changes

Empedocles: all change is governed by chance and necessity
Anaxagorasmind as the primary cause of physical changes
Democrituscause and effect (mechanism)