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Melissos of Samos (fl. 440 B.C.)
| Presocratics Index | Intro
| Thales | Anaximandros
| Anaximenes | Herakleitos
| Parmenides | Zenon
| Melissos |
| Atomists: Leukippos and Demokritos |
Anaxagoras | Empedokles
| Significance of the Presocratics |
In the tradition of his teacher, Parmenides of Elea, Melissos of Samos developed the idea of an infinite cosmos.
For Parmenides, the cosmos was a large, solid, unchanging sphere which comprises everything. This raised the question: "what lies outside the cosmos?"
Melissos answered that nothing lies outside the cosmos. Beyond the cosmos lies no material substance, but also there is no empty space, no infinite void, no space, no time, just nothing.
How, then, could the universe be spherical, and have a definite and therefore limited shape? Melissos answered that the universe must be infinite in extent; nothing lies beyond it because the universe extends in every direction without end.
Melissos of Samos was also a naval commander, who helped the Samians defeat Athens in 440 B.C.
Physicist |
First
principle |
Character |
| Thales of Miletos | Water |
Monism |
| Anaximandros of Miletos | Apeiron |
Monism |
| Anaximenes of Miletos | Air |
Monism |
| Herakleitos of Ephesos | Fire |
Monism |
Parmenides of Elea, |
It |
Monism, Plenism, Rationalism, Necessitarianism, Sufficient Reason, Akinesis, Eternity of the World |
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HSCI 3013. History
of Science to 17th century |
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Many thanks to the pedagogical model developed in Mythology and Folklore and other online courses by Laura Gibbs, which have been an inspiration for this course.
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This course is currently undergoing major reconstruction to bring it into alignment with the new version of the course at Janux |
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