History and

Schools of
Psychology
PSY 109
BS 2
Instructor Bushra Tauseef
Parmenides, Pythagoras, Empedocles
Learning Objectives

The major concepts presented by the following:

Parmenides
Zenos Paradox
Pythagoras
Pythagorean Theorem
Empedocles
Xenophanes
Parmenides

Opposite of Heraclitus.

Motion is an illusion; change is an illusion.

Ultimate reality is constant. What we believe to be a

world of things and motion and change is just an
illusion. "Hen ta panta," all things are One.
Parmenides Zeno of Elea

Zeno student of Parmenides

Wrote a book of paradoxes.

Story of Achilles and the tortoise.

All paradoxes point to the fact that motion is an illusion.

His form of argument is known as reduction to

absurdity.
Pythagoras

First one to refer to himself as a Philosopher.

Mathematics as the root of everything. The reality of

the universe is in numerical relationships. Geometry.

He noted that the square of the hypotenuse of a right-

angle triangle is exactly equal to the sum of the squares
of its other two sides. This might have been known to
the Babylonians before though.
Pythagoras

Psychophysical relationships: harmonious blending of all

the elements. For instance, music, rhythm,
architecture.

First person to realize that the planets are spheres.

Looked for LAWS rather than the FORM of nature.

Idealist
Pythagorean Theorem

Empedocles

His Physis was made up of four elements:

Earth - solid
Water - fluids
Air - breath
Fire - reasoning

Causal laws: love and strife; which keep everything in

harmony.

Health when all four elements are in equilibrium.

Unhealthy when any of the elements are out of balance.
Empedocles

From what does not exist nothing can come into being,
and for what exists to be destroyed is impossible and
unaccomplishable (Barnes, 2001, p. 131).

Modern day law of energy: Energy can only be

transformed, not created and destroyed.
Xenophanes

First one to refute the Greek mythological Gods.

Pantheism One God, which is nature.

"Mortals fancy that gods are born, and wear clothes, and
have voice and form like themselves. Yet if oxen and lions
had hands, and could paint and fashion images as men
do, they would make the pictures and images of their
gods in their own likenesses; horses would make them
like horses, oxen like oxen. Ethiopians make their gods
black and snub-nosed; Thracians give theirs blue eyes and
red hair. (from Diogenes Laertes "Xenophanes," iii.)
Quiz 1 - 5th September