WHAT IS PRE-PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE? - PHILOSOPHY - 2024

The prephilosophical knowledge is the set of ideas, beliefs and criteria of thought that preceded the era in which philosophy was developed as the main way to find the truths and explanations of the various aspects of human life.

Philosophy is practiced when human thought becomes self-conscious. His themes encompass complex questions about life, the universe and all of existence. This way of thinking even invites us to reflect on questions such as: Is there a difference between what is real and what is apparent? What is the origin of the cosmos? Is it the finite universe? Among other varieties of questions.

Before the introduction of philosophical thought, there was a pre-philosophical stream of knowledge characterized by mythical thinking, a mixture between what was perceived through the senses and the imagination. The precursors of this current are known as pre-Socratic thinkers.

The pre-Socratics introduced a new kind of knowledge to the world. They appeared suddenly in the 6th century BC as wise men who wanted to find an explanation for everything that was happening around them.

The main objective of these thinkers was the search for wisdom for what they called themselves sophists, a term that should come from the Greek "sophia" and which means wisdom.

In hindsight it is clear that his research paved the way for what would soon be known as philosophy.

The pre-Socratics also devised one of the most important disciplines that has characterized Western thought: science.

Perhaps at present his contributions are considered as obvious but must be recognized as the founding ideas of modern science.

Ideas of pre-philosophical knowledge

The understanding of pre-philosophical knowledge is complex because of the incomplete nature of the evidence. The information available only corresponds to small fragments of prose writing. Unfortunately no complete work of these early papyrus writings has survived.

Because there is no research from the pre-Socratic period, the knowledge gained from these thinkers and their ideas comes from ancient indirect sources.

Everything that is known about their contributions derives from quotes from their statements, summaries of their ideas or even criticisms of their approaches that were made by various philosophers in later times.

The first field of study of the sophists was the environment. These thinkers decided to consider the natural kingdom as an independent element, an approach that was surprisingly innovative and unprecedented for the time.

At present most of the subjects treated by pre-philosophical thinkers would be considered scientific subjects. The origin of the world, its composition and structure, how did life arise? These are topics that cover sciences such as: astronomy, physics and biology.

The works of the sophists on the validity of the divine are more closely related to theology than to philosophy.

Where it originated? Main authors

Pre-philosophical knowledge originated in the Ionian city of Miletus, on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor. Listed below are some thinkers and ideas that show the scope and different approaches to knowledge prior to the age of philosophy.

Thales of Miletus

Thales was the first to predict a solar eclipse, around 585 BC In addition to this astronomical feat, the ancient Greek settlers considered him the first mathematician and attributed the conception of geometry to him.

His claim that water is the primary type of matter made him the founder of what later became known as "natural philosophy."

According to Thales, in the beginning there was only water and this primitive humidity was the starting point to develop the world as it is known today.

It is said that Thales also assured that all events are governed by the designs of the Gods and that magnets have a soul because they are capable of moving iron.

Anaximander

Anaximander was the first to draw a map of the earth. He also conducted numerous investigations related to the origin and structure of the earth.

Through observation he recorded different natural phenomena such as: eclipses, thunder, lightning and other meteorological events.

He also devised some artifacts, including the sundial and a machine to predict earthquakes.

According to Anaximander, the human species represents the evolution of some animal form. His assertion is based on the fact that only animals are capable of surviving on their own shortly after birth.

It is for this reason, that for the species it would have been impossible to survive without having ancestors of animal origin.

One of his most popular hypotheses proposed that the human species had arisen from a mixture of hot water, land and fish or animals similar to them.

These beings were kept as embryos until they reached puberty, after this stage, the cocoon exploded that allowed the species to come out to feed.

Anaximander is known for his idea that the origin of the world is the "Apeiron", an eternal substance, infinitely large and without definite characteristics.

According to his reasoning, the world is marked by contrasts, for example, some parts are liquid and others solid, so the original material should be able to cover all these contradictions.

This substance also had to be unlimited, indefinite, and eternal to create everything in our world.

Anaximenes

Anaximenes was a thinker of more conservative ideas than Anaximander. His main contribution consists of the idea that the origin of all things and the fundamental form of matter is air.

According to its postulates, air is the element that constitutes our soul and the principle of life, it also keeps us together and controls us. It keeps everything in the right place and works the right way.

For Anaximenes, air was the only element capable of assuming all the divergent forms of the original material “Apeiron”.

Xenophanes

Xenophanes explained the origin and workings of the world in naturalistic terms. He rejected the ideas that the Gods of Greek mythology were responsible for the events that occurred in the world.

For this thinker elements such as air, water, earth and the "Apeiron" were involved in different processes such as evaporation, condensation and solidification, and these reactions were the cause of everything that happened in humanity.

From his point of view, the world was seen as a place of order and not of chaos, where natural laws were responsible for governing events and not the absurd desires and rivalries of the Olympian Gods, who by then weighed dominated the entire world. environment.

Xenophanes' ideas were seen as revolutionary in more ways than one. They represented a change in beliefs and more profoundly in attitude.

They debunked the cultural traditions represented in the poetry of Homer and Hesiod, which until then had been considered an unquestionable source of truth.

To Xenophanes we also owe the beginnings of the reflection on the difficulty of discovering the truth and the skeptical tradition that absolute knowledge cannot be reached. His prose invites us to distinguish between truth, knowledge and belief.

References

1. Frankfort, H., et al (1977). T he Intellectual Adventure of Ancient Man. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
2. Hadot, P. (2004). What is Ancient Philosophy? Harvard, Harvard University Press.
3. Kirk, G., Et al (1957). The Presocratic Philosophers: A Critical History with a Selection of Texts. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
4. Maritain, J. (2005). An EPZ Introduction to Philosophy. London, Continuum
5. McKirahan, R. (2010). Philosophy Before Socrates. Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
6. Stevko, R. (2014). Before Philosophy. Hampden, Graven Image Publishing.