Ideas of Empedocles, by Theme

[Greek, c.495 - 435 BCE, Born and lived at Acragas, in southern Sicily. A doctor, and public 'sage'.]

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7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 5. Reason for Existence
458 Nothing could come out of nothing, and existence could never completely cease
7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 1. Nature of Change
5112 Empedocles says things are at rest, unless love unites them, or hatred splits them [Aristotle]
9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 6. Nihilism about Objects
13209 There is no coming-to-be of anything, but only mixing and separating [Aristotle]
9. Objects / E. Objects over Time / 10. Beginning of an Object
457 Substance is not created or destroyed in mortals, but there is only mixing and exchange
13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 3. Subjectivism
462 One vision is produced by both eyes
17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 3. Panpsychism
22765 Wisdom and thought are shared by all things
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 1. Thought
1524 For Empedocles thinking is almost identical to perception [Theophrastus]
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 1. Nature
589 'Nature' is just a word invented by people
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / e. The One
21823 The principle of 'Friendship' in Empedocles is the One, and is bodiless [Plotinus]
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / f. Ancient elements
2680 Empedocles said that there are four material elements, and two further creative elements [Aristotle]
6002 Empedocles says bone is water, fire and earth in ratio 2:4:2 [Inwood]
13207 Fire, Water, Air and Earth are elements, being simple as well as homoeomerous [Aristotle]
13218 The elements combine in coming-to-be, but how do the elements themselves come-to-be? [Aristotle]
13225 Love and Strife only explain movement if their effects are distinctive [Aristotle]
459 All change is unity through love or division through hate
460 If the one Being ever diminishes it would no longer exist, and what could ever increase it?
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 3. Evolution
5090 Maybe bodies are designed by accident, and the creatures that don't work are destroyed [Aristotle]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 2. Divine Nature
461 God is a pure, solitary, and eternal sphere
466 God is pure mind permeating the universe
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 4. Divine Contradictions
1719 In Empedocles' theory God is ignorant because, unlike humans, he doesn't know one of the elements (strife) [Aristotle]
29. Religion / A. Polytheistic Religion / 2. Greek Polytheism
1522 It is wretched not to want to think clearly about the gods
29. Religion / A. Polytheistic Religion / 4. Dualist Religion
552 Empedocles said good and evil were the basic principles [Aristotle]