Searched for elemental foundation of all things (atom) and origin of motion.6th century BC
The Pythagoreans
Sought intellectual foundation for religious way of life- metempsychosisinfluenced by Egyptians- abstract and mathematicalNumberLate 6th century BCE
Xenophanes of Colophon
Believed in a single deity that was entirely mind who was not at all physical.
Heraclitus of Ephesus
Change =unitySaw unity between change and opposites as a god
Parmenides of Elea
Being is unchanging and the moving, changing world is simply an illusionReason without senses- foundation for Plato's thought and modern Christian view of Godopposite of Heraticles
Zeno of Elea
Produced paradoxes that supported the ideas of his teacher, Parmenides, 'proved' that motion and divisibility were impossible.
Empedocles of Acragas
Combined ideas of Heraclitus and Parmenides and came up with four elements that remain unchanged but form a changing, moving world.
Atomists
Void with no matter exists and is composed of tiny particles of the same material with different shapes and sizes.When these particles form certain vortexes, that is the world we live in.