Philosophy paper - 1000 words - Mind, Meaning and Metaphysics - Material Provided - Essay Example

onia, was the hotbed of great thinkers, known as pre-Socratic natural philosophers, who became trailblazers of modern philosophy and science (McClellan & Dorn 2006). Ionia was the collective term for a group of Greek cities along the coast of Asia Minor and nearby islands located in the northwestern part of Greece. Philosophers like Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Empodecles of Acragas, collectively known as the Milesians, the Pythagoreans led by Pythagora, the Philosophers of Change which included Heraclitus and Parmenides, and the Atomists headed by Leucippus and Democritus, all hailed from the region of Ionia.

This is because in the seventh century when these philosophers lived, Ionia was the center of Greek civilization considering that it had more rainfall and therefore was more fertile than the Greek mainland (McClellan & Dorn 2006). The first of these philosophers was Thales who had earned the reputation of being the first scientist and a wise man for his use of observation of natural phenomena to predict future events. He also used his knowledge of nature to help an Ionian king ward off the enemy by planning and executing the fording of a river.

Thales claims about nature however were made on the authority of his person and largely unsupported by tested demonstrations. These claims, however primitive, were, nevertheless, significant because Thales did not invoke the usual gods or supernatural entities which before him were made the explanations of all phenomena. In addition, the claims were made generally applicable and not confined to a single event. Thus, the explanation for a Nile flood is likewise made the explanation for all Nile floods.

Instead of relying on superstitious beliefs for their explanation, Thales and his contemporaries explained events as a result of the natural course of events. The Nile flooding was therefore explained by Thales as a result of naturally occurring strong winds. Thus, the investigation of nature was the emphasis of