Category: Classical Philosophy

These notes cover Xenophanes of Colophon — his three-part critique of Homer and Hesiod’s gods, his rational concept of a single non-anthropomorphic God, the distinction between revealed and natural theology, his pioneering work in epistemology (the problem of certainty, relativity of perception), and his use of fossil evidence in natural inquiry.

These notes cover Pythagoras of Samos — his religious community, the doctrine of metempsychosis, his metaphysics of number and form, the sacred Tetraktys, the mathematical basis of musical harmony, the structure of the cosmos, and his lasting significance in the history of Western philosophy.

These notes cover Anaximenes of Miletus — the third Milesian philosopher. Topics include his critique of Anaximander’s Apeiron, his theory of air as the first principle, the mechanisms of rarefaction and condensation, the insight that quality depends on quantity, and key philosophical methods including experimental verification and argument by analogy.

These notes cover Anaximander of Miletus — Thales’s student and the second Milesian philosopher. Topics include his critique of Thales, the concept of the Apeiron, vortex motion and cosmic formation, natural justice and balance, and his remarkable anticipations of modern evolutionary and scientific ideas.

These notes cover Thales of Miletus, the first Western philosopher. Topics include his life, his four key philosophical claims, and the major concepts his work introduced: the problem of change, the one and many, appearance and reality, material monism, and reductionism.

These notes explore the mythological world that preceded Greek philosophy. They cover how mythology answered humanity’s deepest questions, why Hesiod’s Theogony matters philosophically, and what Homer’s Iliad teaches about heroic virtue, moderation, and justice.

These notes explain why philosophy is important through four key arguments: it is unavoidable in everyday life, it liberates us from unconscious beliefs, it builds critical thinking, and it is the foundational discipline from which all modern sciences emerged.

These notes explain what philosophy is through four approaches: the etymology of the word, its core branches, a formal definition, and the practice of doing philosophy. Ideal for undergraduate students beginning their study of the subject.