The ideas the pre-Socratics brought to the ancient world were revolutionary, profound and wildly diverse...And they had a huge impact. Indeed, while many modern readers are unaware of these ancient thinkers’ ‘complicated’ names, they are, no doubt, familiar with at least some of their more popular axioms. Consider the oft-quoted notions that...
Man is the Measure of All Things
One cannot step twice into the same river
Everything is in Everything
Motion is Impossible
Nothing Changes, All is Eternal
From the micro to the macro, the pre-Socratics imagined a natural world beyond their own time. Even such modern concepts as “Cultural Relativism” owe their roots to this under-appreciated class of thinkers. In essence, the pre-Socratics were Philosopher Scientists, trying to fully understand our planet, our nature, and our universe.
Join Anya Leonard, founder of Classical Wisdom, as she discusses the characters, the ideas, and the lasting legacy of the Pre-Socratics.
Anya Leonard is the founder of Classical Wisdom and Project Director. She has a MA. in Sociology from University of Edinburgh and studied at St. John’s College in Annapolis with a double major in Philosophy and the History of Math of Science. She lives and writes from all over the world.
