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Who was the first philosopher?

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Gilbey
 
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 11:44 am
I want to know this, if it is possible to know, because I want to know what influenced the first philosopher to question things. Almost every philosopher is inlfuenced by another, but what, if anything influenced the first philosopher?
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,187 • Replies: 14
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 12:41 pm
Who was the first man who peed in the snow?
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OGIONIK
 
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Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 12:44 pm
Jesus.
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 12:57 pm
He did?

Or are you just disgusted?
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Gilbey
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 01:03 pm
So your just saying you don't know, or you haven't answered.
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OGIONIK
 
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Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 01:08 pm
wikipedia has a timeline on philosophers and all major philosophers from now until the beginning. *WILD GUESS ALERT* i would say the first philosophers came from sumeria(un recorded) and from egypt.

more likely as mathematicians. maybe we should define philosophy first...
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Gilbey
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 01:18 pm
So you think that mathmatics had a part to play, in influencing the first philosophers?
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OGIONIK
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 01:27 pm
definitely.
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OGIONIK
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 01:30 pm
well, i think the same environment that made philosophy possible also made math a "trade" as well. freetime and nothin to do but wonder why the big bright ball moves across the sky lol. *wild guess alert* as usual.
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fresco
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 01:34 pm
Hey Gilbey,

If you are feeling biblical, how about Cain's infamous "Am I my brother's keeper ?" as a good philosophical question. :wink:
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InfraBlue
 
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Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 02:11 pm
The University of Oxford lists Anaximander of Miletus (c. 610-546 BCE) as the first philosopher in their chronological list o'.
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Gilbey
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 03:09 pm
So does anyone know what influenced the first philosophers? Did they just suddenly realize that there were things that had not yet been explained?

It would be so interesting to know what the first philosophical question ever asked was. This is just a guess, but I think that it revolved around religion.

What else would the first philosophers ask questions about, other than maybe aspects of nature?
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InfraBlue
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 04:12 pm
Gilbey wrote:
So does anyone know what influenced the first philosophers? Did they just suddenly realize that there were things that had not yet been explained?

It would be so interesting to know what the first philosophical question ever asked was. This is just a guess, but I think that it revolved around religion.

What else would the first philosophers ask questions about, other than maybe aspects of nature?


Click on Anaximander and check out what he asked and thought.
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McTag
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 05:02 pm
Gilbey wrote:
So does anyone know what influenced the first philosophers? Did they just suddenly realize that there were things that had not yet been explained?

It would be so interesting to know what the first philosophical question ever asked was. This is just a guess, but I think that it revolved around religion.

What else would the first philosophers ask questions about, other than maybe aspects of nature?


Philosophy is just a fancy name given to thinking about stuff, and I very much doubt that the first such thoughts were about religion.

Pee-holes in the snow, perhaps.
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hanno
 
  1  
Reply Sun 3 Feb, 2008 11:34 pm
Re: Who was the first philosopher?
Gilbey wrote:
I want to know this, if it is possible to know, because I want to know what influenced the first philosopher to question things. Almost every philosopher is inlfuenced by another, but what, if anything influenced the first philosopher?


I could just be ignorant (hehe, could be...) but I'm thinking we don't know the first philosopher because he/she would predate writing. A female crone would make sense, since they lived longer and had some more contemplation-intensive tasks and we know the proverbial 'crone' did exist. Could also have been a fightin' man - like how Miyamoto Musashi, Manfred von Richtofen, and Tyrus Raymond Cobb each came to realize higher realities through excellence at kicking ass. Could have been a loser - especially if we accept the 1 male for many females dynamic in early culture. I mean, a good hard knock did it for Diogenes and Xeno and those studs practically founded all that is right and good in Western Civilization. A civic alpha male? As if.

If I had to make a call right now - I'd love to say matriarchal chieftain-goddess, but it's going to have to be deified war-chief. Gilgamesh, or the prototype for the Pharaohs, or Sigurd or some such construct.
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