As the "Natural Philosophy" of the Milesians matured, the focus eventually shifted from the stars to the streets. The began teaching rhetoric and relativism, which paved the way for Socrates . Socrates moved the goalposts from "What is the world made of?" to "How should I live?" and "What is justice?"
They introduced three core concepts that still drive us today: The beginning of western philosophy : interpret...
Unlike mythology, which was often dogmatic, philosophy encouraged students to argue with their teachers to find a closer version of the truth. 3. The Shift to the Human Condition As the "Natural Philosophy" of the Milesians matured,
The Birth of Reason: Interpreting the Dawn of Western Philosophy This was the first great debate
Before Socrates focused on human ethics, the earliest philosophers (the Pre-Socratics) were obsessed with the natural world. They sought the —the fundamental "stuff" or first principle of the universe.
This was the first great debate. Heraclitus argued that the universe is defined by change ("You cannot step into the same river twice"). Parmenides countered that change is an illusion and that "Being" is uniform and permanent. 2. Interpretation: Why This Matters