5/23/2016

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Greatest Philosophers of all Time

Pamela Louise Francisco

IV-B.S. IN ACCOUNTANCY

Thales of Miletus posed a question- What constitutes

the universe? which made the following philosophers
contemplate on what the vast universe is made up. Having
different beliefs and points of view, their intellectual responses
may greatly influence our way of thinking as we study further.

Anaxi
mand

Anaximander, being a Milesian philosopher, was

one of the first to wonder what constitutes the universe. He once
said that the origin of all things is the apeiron the source of
the four elements. Well, I could not disagree on that because I
believe all things has its origin, even mushrooms are brought
about by moisture; but the apeiron being indefinite and infinite is
another topic to discuss on. The apeiron, which we dont really
know what is, may or may not be finite or definite but we can only
figure out its mystery if we will study further what it is and what it
is made of. And come to think of it, why would water, air, fire and
earth be scarce because of its non-renewability while its source is
indefinite or infinite?
He also once said that the humankind is from the
fishes. This may be true if the theory of evolution is a theory no
more but as a Christian, I believe that we are fearfully and
wonderfully made in Gods image and likeness. On the other
hand, the Bible is not published back in Anaximanders time.
Another point he made was he concluded that
the earth is cylindrical. I cannot blame him on this because not
much research and studies are available in his time.

Anaximenes
Another
Milesian
philosopher
named
Anaximenes pondered that air is what constitutes the universe.
Actually it is really hard to disagree on this but the cycle on how
air is transformed and become earth is what drove me crazy. He
said that the air when thinned becomes fire; fire when condensed
becomes wind, then cloud, cloud when condensed more becomes
water, then earth, then stones. I just dont get it how air is
transformed into stones just through the contrary processes of
rarefaction and condensation, maybe this may be true but it will
take decades to make happen. Nonetheless, I believe that air is
present in any matter even in solid things where air pockets still
exist.

Pythagoras
Pythagoras once said that all things are
generated from number, that all things follow a particular pattern.
In some aspects, this may be true but indeed, there are things
that no mathematical computation can support. Love, for
example, cannot be a product of computation and does not follow
a certain formula to be efficacious. No formulation, recipe nor
method that our hearts (though love is a signal from the
hypothalamus) can conceive.
He is also an advocate of strict living but
because of that I can really relate his way of living as numbered

or patterned for he has some weird ways of daily rituals which

lead him to being a vegetarian and the first to believe in
metempsychosis (reincarnation).

Heraclitus
Among the philosophers that have been
discussed, Heraclitus is my favorite. I just find his philosophies
factual and applicable to present-day living.
His theory of flux which states that nothing is
permanent but change is just as good as fact. He also said that
some things must change in order to continue to exist having a
river as an example which flows endlessly to be existent. Another
great theory of him is the unity of opposites in which he sites
examples that might really persuade you to agree with him
(example: the path up and down is just the same; hot becomes
cold and cold becomes warm).Lastly, the theory of knowledge
wherein he pointed out that you cannot teach what you really
dont understand because other people might get the wrong end
of the stick or just simply would not have the same understanding
as you have because all of us have limited knowledge.

Empedocles
Empedocles claimed that everything is
composed of the four elements- water, earth, air and fire through
the movement of two opposing objects called love and strife. He
also believed that the four elements are eternal while the two
forces wane. As his fragment 17 states for one is brought to
birth and destroyed by the coming together of all things, the
other is nurtured and flies apart as they grow apart again. And

these things never cease their continual exchange, now through

Love all coming together into one, now again each carried apart
by the hatred of Strife... . All things undergo the cycle of
reconstruction as what I understand it to be, like how mountains
are blasted to get rocks, then rocks into bricks and bricks into
buildings and the cycle goes on and on. I also firmly believe in the
cosmogenic theory simply because God (sphere) breathed (air)
into us in order to give us life (mixture) since He loves us.

Plato
Platos goal in life is to help people achieve
Eudaimonia or just simply fulfilment so the following was his idea
how to make one feel accomplished:
1. Think more
As Socrates friend, Plato, also pondered on
the know thyself philosophy. He said that we must not be
dragged by greatest peoples opinion (doxa) for most of the times
they are just errors, prejudices and superstitions. Try to have a
Socratic discussion (talk with yourself or with others about your
opinion and way of thinking) which will help you strengthen your
self-knowledge so you cannot be fooled by your feelings and will
also aid you in subjecting your ideas to examination rather than
acting on impulse.
2. Let your lover change you
As Plato said in his book symposium true
love is admiration wherein you must find a person with good
qualities that you yourself lack. It may sound absurd that you let
someone change you but Plato once said that a couple shouldnt
love each other exactly as they are right now.- meaning you
must help each other to be better versions of yourselves. Help
each other grow to their fullest potentials.

3. Decode the message of beauty

Beauty and art help us educate our souls so
let us all appreciate the beauty that surrounds us because as
Plato said, beautiful objects are whispering important truths to
us about good life. I believe that beauty is therapeutic because
we see fulfillment of the things we need but are still missing in
our lives.
4. Reform society
He was the first utopian thinker. He wants a
perfect civilization. He wanted to end democracy but wants the
leaders of the society to be philosophers themselves. He wants to
withdraw the rights to suffrage among those who do not think for
they are the ones who make the society imperfect. I personally
dont agree with this because it is not the government that needs
to change but the people in it.

There are just things that we cannot measure, there are

also things that we cannot prove; just believe and have faith and
you dont have to wonder how things are created for we all have
that great creator who planned and managed everything that is
present today.