The origin of philosophy dates back to the 6th century BC, in Ancient Greece. Etymologically the word philosophy comes from the Greek roots philo and sophia, which mean love and wisdom respectively.
Its literal translation is love of wisdom, but in its broadest concept, philosophy is dedicated to the study of both the most basic and the most profound questions of human existence.
Pre-Socratic philosophers
The first thinker to call himself a philosopher was Pythagoras, although he was certainly not the first to try to find answers to the great mysteries of being.
Origin of philosophy: from myth to logos
Before the advent of philosophy, both natural and human events found mythological explanations. Until the 6th century, mythology was rooted in the customs and traditions of ancient people.
The mythological stories served to give an explanation of the passage of time, natural phenomena, the origin of humanity, the mysteries of life and death, among others. They were also a way to preserve historical events.
The transition from myth to logos did not happen spontaneously or immediately. The early philosophers modified and expanded the form of many of the mythological assumptions regarding the origin of the cosmos, the human being, and his role in the grand cosmological scheme.
The Greek word logos means order, word and reason. It is used to indicate a rational, not a mythological explanation.
Heraclitus was the first philosopher to use the term to refer to the principle of the cosmos that organizes and orders the world. This principle had the power to regulate the birth and decline of things in the world.
Later, the Stoics developed this notion, conceiving it as the principle that gave life and order to all beings in the universe.
The first philosopher
Thales of Miletus
The Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus is considered the first philosopher and father of Western philosophy. He was born in Miletus in the Asian region, approximately between 620-625 BC This philosopher made great contributions not only to the development of philosophy but also of science.
By leaving mythology aside in the explanation of natural phenomena or existence, he inaugurated a new tradition that revolutionized the way of conceiving the world. Also, he collaborated with the development of the scientific method by posing hypotheses.
This first natural philosopher proposed answers to a series of questions about the planet Earth such as what was its shape and size, how was it sustained, what was the cause of earthquakes and others.
He also speculated on the sun and the moon. These proposals were the genesis of scientific conjectures about natural phenomena.
Its great merit is that its theories and arguments could be refuted. His explanations of natural phenomena were materialistic and not mythological or theological. Furthermore, their hypotheses were rational and scientific.
Pre-Socratic philosophers
The pre-Socratics were philosophers who preceded the thought of Socrates. These focused on speculating about the material principle of nature.
Thus, following the tradition started by Thales of Miletus, they used reason to give explanations about the cosmos and its operation.
References
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- Cartwright, M. (2012, July 29). Greek Mythology. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Recovered from ancient.eu
- Anderson, AA, Hicks SV and Witkowski, L. (2004). Mythos and Logos: How to Regain the Love of Wisdom. New York: Rodopi.
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- Thales. (2012). Famous-Mathematicians. Recovered from famous-mathematicians.com.
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