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Post by Otto Kretschmer on Mar 10, 2024 9:26:52 GMT
OTL the Milesian school consisted of just three philosophers: Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes and it died out in the 500s BC.
What if it survived and thrived, becoming either the dominant or one of several competing schools in Greece?
IMO it could have led to a scientific revolution, given it's emphasis on reason and natural explanations for phenomena. It could have also led to a more secular society since rational explanations would clash with religious dogma.
(The what ifs of a scientific revolution in Ancient Greece are themselves fascinating)
Do you agree/disagree with this?
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Post by Max Sinister on Mar 10, 2024 22:07:26 GMT
Hmm... Thales still had some unscientific views, like thinking that everything was made of water. That'd have to be fixed. Not sure how, I don't know much about them but their basics.
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Post by Otto Kretschmer on Mar 11, 2024 13:23:02 GMT
Hmm... Thales still had some unscientific views, like thinking that everything was made of water. That'd have to be fixed. Not sure how, I don't know much about them but their basics. I'm pretty sure that such a view would be fixed by subsequent generations of philosophers/scientists once enough scientific knowledge accumulates. |
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Post by Max Sinister on Mar 12, 2024 23:48:30 GMT
Hmm... Thales still had some unscientific views, like thinking that everything was made of water. That'd have to be fixed. Not sure how, I don't know much about them but their basics. I'm pretty sure that such a view would be fixed by subsequent generations of philosophers/scientists once enough scientific knowledge accumulates. That's what should be done if you want science to improve - but didn't the ancient Greeks cling too much to accepted authorities? Hard to improve science if any kind of criticism of a famous philosopher is seen as scratching his monument.
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 13, 2024 19:42:26 GMT
I'm pretty sure that such a view would be fixed by subsequent generations of philosophers/scientists once enough scientific knowledge accumulates. That's what should be done if you want science to improve - but didn't the ancient Greeks cling too much to accepted authorities? Hard to improve science if any kind of criticism of a famous philosopher is seen as scratching his monument.
Another problem might be religion. While polytheistic cultures tended to be more tolerant of other religions compared to monotheistic ones both tended to be unhappy with people who questioned the existence/nature of any gods and how long before a logistic and scientific mind set starts to raise questions about at least current interpretations if not the existence of gods?
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Post by Otto Kretschmer on Mar 17, 2024 18:47:29 GMT
That's what should be done if you want science to improve - but didn't the ancient Greeks cling too much to accepted authorities? Hard to improve science if any kind of criticism of a famous philosopher is seen as scratching his monument.
Another problem might be religion. While polytheistic cultures tended to be more tolerant of other religions compared to monotheistic ones both tended to be unhappy with people who questioned the existence/nature of any gods and how long before a logistic and scientific mind set starts to raise questions about at least current interpretations if not the existence of gods?
Well... I don't know  Though at least some people might treat scientific investigation as a way to understand the gods, just as many European scientists who treated science as a way to understand God's creation. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Mar 17, 2024 21:12:29 GMT
Another problem might be religion. While polytheistic cultures tended to be more tolerant of other religions compared to monotheistic ones both tended to be unhappy with people who questioned the existence/nature of any gods and how long before a logistic and scientific mind set starts to raise questions about at least current interpretations if not the existence of gods?
Well... I don't know Though at least some people might treat scientific investigation as a way to understand the gods, just as many European scientists who treated science as a way to understand God's creation.
Yes but when that starts to contradict the religious ideas you get problems. No one wants to anger the gods by disputing their power, let alone existence and especially not if your a priest or other person with an interest in the power and respect of the current religion.
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Post by Otto Kretschmer on Mar 19, 2024 12:38:15 GMT
In Europe it was the Reformation which questioned the authority of the Catholic Church... which paved the way for a similar questioning of the authority of Protestant churches.
Maybe something could weaken the authority of the Greek religion as well?
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Though at least some people might treat scientific investigation as a way to understand the gods, just as many European scientists who treated science as a way to understand God's creation.