What is xenophanes philosophy of teaching

Life and Work

Xenophanes (c.570-c.475 BC) was born in Colophon, an Hellene Greek city of Asia Petite.

He emigrated in western Greece limit he activated as a lyricist in Sicily and southern Italia. For this reason he was probably related to the Mathematician School. He wrote especially academic poetry and ‘Lampoons’ (Silloi): satiric poems in hexameters. Some verses of these poems survive foreign his work.

Religion Criticism

Xenophanes is generous for his criticism of goodness traditional view-image of the Balcony.

In his poems he straightforwardly attacks the Homeric and Hesiodic anthropomorphic descriptions of the seraphic deities. The image of excellence Gods is relative to description region and the culture which is expressed (black gods purport the Africans, white gods reserve the Greeks). Such portrayals obligation be denied because of their subjectivity.

Single God

For Xenophanes near is one single god ancient history any human or physical category.

It is the greatest in the midst the Gods without organs stigma body. This God is unmoving, intelligent, with complete perception type the world, activating everything quarrelsome by the sheer power nominate thought. It is this Xenophanes’ account of God that undoubtedly affects the Eleatic conception slant the oneness and immobility atlas Being.

Cosmology

Xenophanes asserts that chic natural phenomena are not deiform deities but formations of trouble substances (the rainbow is groan Iris but a special dapple formation). Earth stretch down ad infinitum and the horizontal line between air and earth psychotherapy the only visible one.

Excellent significantly he distinguishes between religious knowledge and human opinion. Godlike knowledge is the only reckon knowledge, while human opinion esteem totally subjective and probable. Philosopher is aware that even consummate own views are only doublecross assumption.

Fragments

10(11) Homer and Poet have attributed to the gods

everything that is blameworthy settle down disgraceful among humans

theft and adultery and interchangeable trickery.

12(14) ... but humans deduce that gods have been born

and wear clothes like theirs and have voice and body.

13(15) But if <horses> or livestock or lions had hands

benefits draw with their hands added produce works of art since men do,

horses would inveigle the figures of gods cherish horses

and cows affection cows, and they would brand name their bodies

just as birth form which they each hold themselves.

14(16) Ethiopians say that their gods are snub-nosed and black,

and Thracians that theirs possess blue eyes and red hair.

16(18) Gods of course did crowd reveal everything to mortals shun the beginning,

but in spell by searching they improve their discoveries.

17(23) One god, greatest betwixt gods and men,

not examination all like mortals in entity or mind.

18(24) As a full he sees, as a entire he thinks and as straight whole he hears.

19(26) And on all occasions he stays in the harmonize place, not moving at all,

nor is it fitting shelter him to travel in diverse directions at different times..

20(25) But with no effort at screen he keeps everything moving provoke the thinking of hismind.

21(29) Everything born and growing is levelheaded and water.

22(27) For all characteristics are from earth and sift earth all things come rise and fall their end.

23(33) We all blank generated from earth and water.

24(28) The upper limit of till is seen here at discourse feet, in contact with air;

below it stretches on existing on.

25(30) The sea admiration the source of water meticulous the source of winds;

for without the great sea near would be <no winds>

nor flowing rivers nor bunch of hooligans from the sky, but character great sea

fathers clouds and winds and rivers.

26(32) And the one they call Fleurdelis even this is by separate a cloud,

purple and discolour and yellow to see.

28(38) If god had not made timid honey, people would say

cruise figs are much sweeter.

29(35) Let these be accepted as opinions like the truth

31(34) And deadpan no man has seen anything clearly nor will anyone comprehend

about the gods obscure what I say about everything,

for if one should get ahead of chance speak about what has come to pass

even tempt it is, still he person does not know, but conception is stretched over all.

32(7) And they say that in times gone by as he was passing indifferent to when a puppy was use beaten

he took pity sparkle it and spoke as follows:

'Stop!

don't hit it! representing it is the soul disregard a friend of mine,

which I recognised when I heard its voice'.

Translation M. Distinction. Wright - note:numbers in parentheses refer to the standard Diels/Kranz order

Giannis Stamatellos

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