More Pre-Socratics

(All quotes are from Early Greek Philosophy, by Jonathan Barnes) My introductory commentary is contained in brackets [] before each quote. The quote is followed by a page # from Barnes’ book and the name of the source which Barnes sites given in parentheses (). If the quote is a paraphrase contained in the source it is referenced to as “by” and the name of the source author, if it is a direct quote of the original philosopher it is given as “from” and the authors name.

Anaximander

[Darwin foreshadowed] Further, he says that originally men were born from animals of different kind, because the other animals can soon look after themselves while men alone require a long period of nursing; that is why if they had been like this originally they would hot have survived. Pg. 20 (by Plutarch)

[On the infinite] . . . what is limited is always limited by something, so that there cannot be an [ultimate] limit if one thing must always be limited by another. Pg. 22 (by Aristotle)

[On the infinite] Hence if mass is anywhere, it is everywhere. At the same time, if empty space and place are limitless, body too must be limitless – for with eternal things there is no difference between being possible and being actual. Pg. 23 (by Aristotle)

Alcmaeon

[Man defined] Alcmaeon first determines the difference between men and animals: he says that men differ from the other animals because they alone understand, whereas the others perceive but do not understand. Pg. 38 (by Theophrastus)

Xenophanes

[Nature of truth] And the clear truth no man has seen nor will anyone know concerning the gods and about all the things of which I speak; for even if he should actually manage to say what is the case, nevertheless he himself does not know it; but belief is found over all. Pg. 41 (from Sextus Empiricus)

[Nature of truth] Let these things be believed as similar to truth, Pg. 41 (from Plutarch)

[What is relative] If god had not made yellow honey, they would say that figs are far sweeter. Pg. 41 (from Herodian)

[On learning] Not at first did the gods reveal all things to mortals, but in time, by inquiring, they make better discoveries. Pgs. 41-42 (from Stobaeus)

Heraclitus

[On War] War is father of all, king of all: some it has shown as gods, some as men; some it has made slaves, some free. Pg. 50 (from Hippolytus)

[On learning] Much learning does not teach thought. Pg. 53 (from Diogenes Laertius)

[On politics] When they [the citizens of Emphasis] asked him [Heraclitus] to write laws for them, he refused on the grounds that the city had already been mastered by a wicked constitution. He retired into the temple of Artemis and played dice with the children. When the Ephesians stood round him, he said: Why are you staring, you wretches? Isn’t it better to do this than to play politics with you?” pg. 53 (by Diogenes Laertius)

[Infinite abilities of the mind/soul] You will not find the limits of the soul although you travel all the path – so deep is its account. Pg. 54 (from Diogenes Laertius)

[On what makes us human] Thinking is common to all. Pg. 57 (from Stobaeus)

[We do not know] Most do not understand the things they meet with – not even when they have learned them do they know them; but they seem to themselves to do so. Pg. 57 (from Clement)

[On man’s universal ability to recognize Justice] They would not know the name of justice if these things did not exist. Pg. 64 (from Clement)

[On heroes slain in battle] Gods and men honor those slain in battle. Pg. 65 (from Clement)

[On finding the good] . . . those who search for gold, dig over much earth and find a little. Pg. 68 (from Clement)