Empedocles - Presocratics Philosopher, Healer, God

Empedocles is one of the wildest Presocratics philosophers (indeed philosophers) and was a consummate polymath. He was a great philosopher among the Presocratics and later in the esteem of Aristotle and Lucretius as well as being a healer, mystic, a successful and democratic politician and apparently, a god.
In this episode on presocratic philosophy we are going to explore Empedocles philosophical teachings including his conception of the four elements, the two forces which govern his cosmogony love and strife as well as his primitive theory of evolution.
#empedocles #thelivingphilosophy #presocratic

[@jamesalvarez8733]

Interesting reference to empodocles and herostratus, during the Texas revolt, the war between the United States and Mexico, it was portrayed as a vindication of wrongs inflicted by Mexico, while the truth of the matter was directly of the opposite reality. It was said the the Texas revolt was the Thermopylae of the West, but in all reality it would go down as an empodocles or herostratus, known for its folly and crime!

[@yqafree]

I lov this video so much, the relationship between dualism and monism. It's like the alchemical expression; such of that old baphomet with the man, beast and god's left and right handed paths - coagula / solve \ , like the freemasonic "ask one - know one" . I rather enjoyed everything in this video especially your mentions to those dialectic views of the presocratic philosophers and postsocratic ones as well.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Wonderful I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah I love the Presocratics. Their intellectual fields are all much more closely blended and in Empedocles especially there's such a wonderful soup of insight and exploration. It's fascinating to see what they arrived at before philosophy and science were partitioned off from mysticism and healing

[@santerisatama5409]

@@TheLivingPhilosophy You made important note of how close Anaximandros and Empedokles are: Whence things have their origin, Thence also their destruction happens, According to necessity; For they give to each other justice and recompense For their injustice In conformity with the ordinance of Time.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

@@santerisatama5409 Interesting. Anaximander is one I have never actually given a deep dive on I can definitely see the similarities with Empedocles' Love and Strife in that without a doubt

[@TimBitten]

WOW! I can’t believe I had never heard of this guy!! Great vid.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Haha I know right! Mad ol fellow glad he was eh!

[@kimsecherandersen1085]

Empedocles of Akragas in Sicily. Our most cherished philosopher of antiquity. Claimed godly powers, as if he were a mage. None as colorful personified the spirit of his age. His elementary theory sought to abide to Parmenides’ law. Accepting that something cannot emerge from nothing before. Of the roots to all things he identified four. Water, Fire, Air, Earth, and nothing more. Though in his reasoning an obvious flaw. Allowing things to morph into which they were not before. Like bone from two parts of water and earth and fire four. His cosmogony relied on the conflict of love and strife. The two forces of the cosmic dance of death and life. The cosmos passes through cyclical stages in an eternal war. Coming full circle when love reigns supreme as once before. When all particles being mingled in a sphere of unity. The most harmonious state of purity. But also devoid of life and things. Only through attraction and repulsion life begins. Each living creature - a specific ratio of roots. Through mingling and separation everything transmutes. He provided an evolutionary theory of sorts. Originally the earthly tribes had all manner of forms, - an entirely random union of limbs. Human bodies with oxen heads and likewise freakish whims. Organisms lacking proportional harmony were lost to the ash heap of history. Survivors arose by chance and necessity. Early man lived harmoniously in a golden age with food in excess. But as strife intervened we slaughtered animals and ate their flesh. For this sin and others mankind faces a gloomy end. Trapped in a cycle of reincarnation - for millennia condemned to wander this Earth, unless we through apotheosis to godhood transcend. But as for himself, he was confident that his ascendance to Olympus was imminent. To prove his godhood - this ardent soul, leapt into Mount Etna and was roasted whole.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Ah! Amazing not just a great summary but in poetic form! Empedocles would be pleased

[@kimsecherandersen1085]

Thanks a lot. Really enjoying your videos. I got a full poem for all the major presocratics.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

@@kimsecherandersen1085 No way! Well I hope to see them being revealed in future episodes! I'm planning on doing a more thorough exploration so Democritus/Leucippus up next or maybe Parmenides so looking forward to reading your poems on them!

[@santerisatama5409]

Empedokles' theory of evolution does seem to have some deep connection with Sheldrake's idea of morphogenetic fields and the forces of coherence and decoherence.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

@@santerisatama5409 Having heard the name Sheldrake but knowing nothing about him I must admit that was a rather interesting rabbit hole I just went down. I think I might queue up The Science Delusion next on my reading list that sounds rather interesting at the very least a new perspective to add to the toolkit

[@unknowninfinium4353]

Dude dude keep making videos on philosophy man. Love your content.

[@santerisatama5409]

Ah! Thanks for reminding.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Ah I did not know that! Fascinating stuff

[@satnamo]

I like that guy whose name means fame for firmly grounded on mountains.

[@BigVillyStyle]

What are your sources for this information?

[@satnamo]

This is because that is. This is not because that is not. This and that: You are in me because I am in you Since we are 1. This is das fundamental law of Buddhism because it gives rise to 4 noble truths: 1. Illness exists because of 2. Illinterbeing. 3. Wellness exists because of 4. Wellinterbeing. Oneness within oneself Brings oneness with das whole universe. De one who knows das one becomes de 1!