The first philosophers of Greece : $b An edition and translation of the remaining fragments of the pre-Sokratic philosophers, together with a translation of the more important accounts of their opinions contained in the early epitomes of their worksFairbanks, Arthur
Philosophy
The first philosophers of Greece : $b An edition and translation of the remaining fragments of the pre-Sokratic philosophers, together with a translation of the more important accounts of their opinions contained in the early epitomes of their works
Fairbanks, Arthur
Philosophy, Ancient
3. And since these things are so, it is necessary to think that in all
the objects that are compound there existed many things of all sorts, and
germs of all objects, having all sorts of forms and colours and tastes.
10. And men were constituted, and the other animals, as many as have
life. And the men have inhabited cities and works constructed as among
us, and they have sun and moon and other things as among us; and the
earth brings forth for them many things of all sorts, of which they carry
the most serviceable into the house and use them. These things then I
have said concerning the separation, that not only among us would the
separation take place, but elsewhere too.
11. So these things rotate and are separated by force and swiftness. And
the swiftness produces force; and their swiftness is in no way like the
swiftness of the things now existing among men, but it is certainly many
times as swift.
14. When they are thus distinguished, it is necessary to recognise that
they all become no fewer and no more. For it is impossible that more than
all should exist, but all are always equal.
5. In all things there is a portion of everything except mind; and there
are things in which there is mind also.
6. Other things include a portion of everything, but mind is infinite
and self-powerful and mixed with nothing, but it exists alone itself by
itself. For if it were not by itself, but were mixed with anything else,
it would include parts of all things, if it were mixed with anything;
for a portion of everything exists in everything, as has been said by me
before, and things mingled with it would prevent it from having power
over anything in the same way that it does now that it is alone by
itself. For it is the most rarefied of all things and the purest, and it
has all knowledge in regard to everything and the greatest power; over
all that has life, both greater and less, mind rules. And mind ruled the
rotation of the whole, so that it set it in rotation in the beginning.
First it began the rotation from a small beginning, then more and more
was included in the motion, and yet more will be included. Both the
mixed and the separated and distinct, all things mind recognised. And
whatever things were to be, and whatever things were, as many as are now,
and whatever things shall be, all these mind arranged in order; and it
arranged that rotation, according to which now rotate stars and sun and
moon and air and aether, now that they are separated. Rotation itself
caused the separation, and the dense is separated from the rare, the warm
from the cold, the bright from the dark, the dry from the moist. And
there are many portions of many things. Nothing is absolutely separated
nor distinct, one thing from another, except mind. All mind is of like
character, both the greater and the smaller. But nothing different is
like anything else, but in whatever object there are the most, each
single object is and was most distinctly these things.[87]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account