Early philosophers sought to understand the nature of reality from "summary" of The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb
Early philosophers grappled with the fundamental question of what truly exists in the world. Thales of Miletus believed that everything was made of water, whereas Anaximander proposed that the true substance was something else entirely. Anaximenes suggested that air was the underlying element of all things. These thinkers were driven by a desire to uncover the ultimate reality behind the world of appearances. The Pythagoreans took a different approach, turning their attention to the realm of mathematics. They believed that numbers held the key to understanding the universe. Meanwhile, Heraclitus posited that change was the only constant in the world, leading him to conclude that fire was the underlying principle of reality. Parmenides, on the other hand, argued that change was an illusion and that true reality was unchanging and indivisible. Empedocles introduced the idea of the four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - as the building blocks of all existence. He also suggested the presence of two opposing forces - love and strife - that governed the interactions of these elements. Anaxagoras took a more scientific approach, proposing that everything was composed of infinitely divisible particles called "nous."- Leucippus and Democritus, put forward the concept of atoms as the basic units of reality. They believed that these atoms were eternal and unchanging, constantly moving and combining to form different substances. These early philosophers laid the groundwork for future generations to continue exploring the nature of reality and the essence of existence.
