PLS1501
Assignment 1
Due 2025
, Introduction to Western Philosophy
1. The Milesians and the First Principle (archē)
The earliest Greek philosophers from Miletus—Thales, Anaximander, and
Anaximenes—were among the first to investigate the fundamental origin (archē) of all
things. Thales (c. 624–546 BCE) suggested that water was this primary principle,
arguing that all life depends on moisture and that water has the capacity to transform
into different forms (Burnet, 2010). His student, Anaximander (c. 610–546 BCE), moved
away from identifying a single element and instead proposed the apeiron, meaning the
infinite or boundless, as the ultimate source. He reasoned that only an unlimited and
eternal principle could generate the opposites that structure reality (Guthrie, 1980).
Anaximenes (c. 586–528 BCE), however, returned to a concrete element and identified
air as the archē, maintaining that through processes of condensation and rarefaction it
could produce every type of matter (Kirk, Raven & Schofield, 1983).
This early debate highlights essential aspects of philosophy. First, it demonstrates
philosophy as a process of critical engagement, where each thinker evaluates and
revises earlier theories rather than accepting them uncritically. This reflects philosophy’s
self-correcting character, grounded in reason rather than myth. Second, the progression
from Thales to Anaximander and Anaximenes illustrates the historical development of
ideas through dialogue, disagreement, and refinement—similar to what Karl Popper
later described as “conjectures and refutations” (Popper, 1963). The move from
concrete substances (water and air) to an abstract principle (apeiron) also marks one of
the earliest philosophical recognitions that the foundation of reality might not be directly
observable.
The evolution of the Milesians’ discussion shows philosophy as a dynamic pursuit. New
explanations arise whenever previous accounts fall short, and this progression laid the
groundwork for later metaphysical and natural philosophical thought in Greece and
beyond.
Assignment 1
Due 2025
, Introduction to Western Philosophy
1. The Milesians and the First Principle (archē)
The earliest Greek philosophers from Miletus—Thales, Anaximander, and
Anaximenes—were among the first to investigate the fundamental origin (archē) of all
things. Thales (c. 624–546 BCE) suggested that water was this primary principle,
arguing that all life depends on moisture and that water has the capacity to transform
into different forms (Burnet, 2010). His student, Anaximander (c. 610–546 BCE), moved
away from identifying a single element and instead proposed the apeiron, meaning the
infinite or boundless, as the ultimate source. He reasoned that only an unlimited and
eternal principle could generate the opposites that structure reality (Guthrie, 1980).
Anaximenes (c. 586–528 BCE), however, returned to a concrete element and identified
air as the archē, maintaining that through processes of condensation and rarefaction it
could produce every type of matter (Kirk, Raven & Schofield, 1983).
This early debate highlights essential aspects of philosophy. First, it demonstrates
philosophy as a process of critical engagement, where each thinker evaluates and
revises earlier theories rather than accepting them uncritically. This reflects philosophy’s
self-correcting character, grounded in reason rather than myth. Second, the progression
from Thales to Anaximander and Anaximenes illustrates the historical development of
ideas through dialogue, disagreement, and refinement—similar to what Karl Popper
later described as “conjectures and refutations” (Popper, 1963). The move from
concrete substances (water and air) to an abstract principle (apeiron) also marks one of
the earliest philosophical recognitions that the foundation of reality might not be directly
observable.
The evolution of the Milesians’ discussion shows philosophy as a dynamic pursuit. New
explanations arise whenever previous accounts fall short, and this progression laid the
groundwork for later metaphysical and natural philosophical thought in Greece and
beyond.
