Pre-Socratic Philosophy: What Are Some Term Paper

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One of the most enduring legacies of the Pre-Socratic concern with the source of all sentient life is atomism, advocated by Democritus. The definition of atoms as things "that cannot be cut up or actively divided up and split," seems more like a precursor to modern physics rather than philosophy (80) Sophists such as Critas asked questions, not about the natural world, but the moral and political life of citizens and acted as "independent, often itinerants teachers of wisdom," and above all conveyers of "political skills" that were of vital importance in a free-for-all democracy like ancient Athens, where the ability to "speak well" and persuasively was a vital survival skill (6;96).

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The Sophists were rivals to Socrates because they claimed that morality was based in convention, and did not exist outside of social institutions like language.

The diversity of the Pre-Socratic philosophers highlights the complexity of what constituted philosophy in ancient Greece. Some philosophers asked questions about matter, others about morality, but philosophy did not evolve as a seamless line of ideas, rather different questions seemed pressing, depending on the political state of affairs of the nation.

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"Pre-Socratic Philosophy What Are Some", 19 March 2007, Accessed.26 June. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/pre-socratic-philosophy-39238