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Single Idea 5112

[filed under theme 7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 1. Nature of Change ]

Full Idea

Empedocles claims that things are alternately changing and at rest - that they are changing whenever love is creating a unity out of plurality, or hatred is creating plurality out of unity, and they are at rest in the times in between.

Gist of Idea

Empedocles says things are at rest, unless love unites them, or hatred splits them

Source

report of Empedocles (fragments/reports [c.453 BCE]) by Aristotle - Physics 250b26

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Physics', ed/tr. Waterfield,Robin [OUP 1996], p.185

A Reaction

I suppose one must say that this an example of Ruskin's 'pathetic fallacy' - reading human emotions into the cosmos. Being constructive little creatures, we think goodness leads to construction. I'm afraid Empedocles is just wrong.

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]
552 Empedocles said good and evil were the basic principles [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
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]
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]
589 'Nature' is just a word invented by people [Empedocles]
457 Substance is not created or destroyed in mortals, but there is only mixing and exchange [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]