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Single Idea 552

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / j. Evil ]

Full Idea

Empedocles was the first to give evil and good as principles.

Gist of Idea

Empedocles said good and evil were the basic principles

Source

report of Empedocles (fragments/reports [c.453 BCE]) by Aristotle - Metaphysics 985a

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Metaphysics', ed/tr. Lawson-Tancred,Hugh [Penguin 1998], p.17

A Reaction

Once you start to think that good and evil will only matter if they have causal powers, it is an easy step to the idea of a benevolent god, and a satanic anti-god. Otherwise the 'principles' could be ignored.

The 22 ideas from 'fragments/reports'

5112 Empedocles says things are at rest, unless love unites them, or hatred splits them [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
13209 There is no coming-to-be of anything, but only mixing and separating [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
22765 Wisdom and thought are shared by all things [Empedocles]
21823 The principle of 'Friendship' in Empedocles is the One, and is bodiless [Empedocles, by Plotinus]
2680 Empedocles said that there are four material elements, and two further creative elements [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
6002 Empedocles says bone is water, fire and earth in ratio 2:4:2 [Empedocles, by Inwood]
13207 Fire, Water, Air and Earth are elements, being simple as well as homoeomerous [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
552 Empedocles said good and evil were the basic principles [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
13218 The elements combine in coming-to-be, but how do the elements themselves come-to-be? [Aristotle on Empedocles]
13225 Love and Strife only explain movement if their effects are distinctive [Aristotle on Empedocles]
1719 In Empedocles' theory God is ignorant because, unlike humans, he doesn't know one of the elements (strife) [Aristotle on Empedocles]
5090 Maybe bodies are designed by accident, and the creatures that don't work are destroyed [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
1524 For Empedocles thinking is almost identical to perception [Empedocles, by Theophrastus]
457 Substance is not created or destroyed in mortals, but there is only mixing and exchange [Empedocles]
589 'Nature' is just a word invented by people [Empedocles]
458 Nothing could come out of nothing, and existence could never completely cease [Empedocles]
460 If the one Being ever diminishes it would no longer exist, and what could ever increase it? [Empedocles]
459 All change is unity through love or division through hate [Empedocles]
461 God is a pure, solitary, and eternal sphere [Empedocles]
462 One vision is produced by both eyes [Empedocles]
1522 It is wretched not to want to think clearly about the gods [Empedocles]
466 God is pure mind permeating the universe [Empedocles]