The Greek Cosmologists: Volume 1, The Formation of the Atomic Theory and its Earliest Critics

Furley's study presents a clear picture of the opposing views of the natural world and its contents as seen by philosophers and scientists in classical antiquity. On one side were the materialists whose world was mechanistic, evolutionary, and unbounded, lacking the focus of a natural center. The other side included teleologists, whose world was purposive, non-evolutionary, finite, and centrifocal. This volume takes the reader up to the criticisms of Plato and Aristotle. The second volume will examine Plato and Aristotle's own cosmology and follow the debate to the sixth century. Professor Furley has produced a history of the early views of the physical world whose scope makes this book of major importance. This first volume takes the story from its beginnings in Ionian philosophy as far as the formation of the Atomic Theory and the first criticisms of it by Plato and Aristotle. The second volume will describe the cosmology of Plato and Aristotle, the attempt by Epicurean opponents to revive Atomism and later developments of the debate in classical philosophy and science up to the sixth century of our era. Both are accessible to anyone interested in the history of science and philosophy, even if they have no specialized knowledge of Greek philosophy and no Greek; but professional scholars too will find much of importance to them Furley's study presents a clear picture of the opposing views of the natural world and its contents as seen by philosophers and scientists in classical antiquity. On one side were the materialists whose world was mechanistic, evolutionary, and unbounded, lacking the focus of a natural center. The other side included teleologists, whose world was purposive, non-evolutionary, finite, and centrifocal. This volume takes the reader up to the criticisms of Plato and Aristotle. The second volume will examine Plato and Aristotle's own cosmology and follow the debate to the sixth century. --From publisher's description 1......Page 2 2......Page 6 3......Page 8 4......Page 10 5......Page 18 6......Page 25 7......Page 40 8......Page 58 9......Page 70 91......Page 88 92......Page 114 93......Page 124 94......Page 145 95......Page 161 96......Page 178 97......Page 186 98......Page 210 99......Page 220 991......Page 227 The educational tradition of the Western half of the world has fairly recently adopted a new picture of the physical universe and man's place in it. This book is for anyone interested in the history of science and philosophy, even if they have no specialized knowledge of Greek philosophy. V. 1. The Formation Of The Atomic Theory And Its Earliest Critics. David Furley. Includes Indexes. Bibliography: V. 1, P. 201-210.