ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the thought of the Milesians and Pythagoreans, who dealt with the basic nature and structure of matter. It examines the ideas of Heraclitus, who held that the world is in the process of orderly change, and the Eleatics, who argued that change is impossible. The earliest group of Greek philosophers is called the Milesians, named for their city of Miletus. The value of the Milesian philosophers lies in their asking some of the right questions and trying to give naturalistic answers instead of mythological explanations. This was a humanistic approach, which kept the questions alive and led eventually to scientific investigation of the nature of matter. The religious approach of the Pythagorean community was based on belief in reincarnation of the human soul or mind. The ultimate goal was escape from the cycle of birth and rebirth and reunion with the divine, or a state of pure, unembodied intellect.
