Explaining the Cosmos

The Ionian Tradition of Scientific Philosophy

By: Daniel W. Graham

Write A Review

Hardcover | 17 October 2006

At a Glance

Hardcover
368 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.2 x 235

Hardcover

RRP $135.00

$102.75

24%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $25.69 with

or

Ships in 3 to 5 business days

Explaining the Cosmos is a major reinterpretation of Greek scientific thought before Socrates. Focusing on the scientific tradition of philosophy, Daniel Graham argues that Presocratic philosophy is not a mere patchwork of different schools and styles of thought. Rather, there is a discernible and unified Ionian tradition that dominates Presocratic debates. Graham rejects the common interpretation of the early Ionians as "material monists" and also the view of the later Ionians as desperately trying to save scientific philosophy from Parmenides' criticisms.

In Graham's view, Parmenides plays a constructive role in shaping the scientific debates of the fifth century BC. Accordingly, the history of Presocratic philosophy can be seen not as a series of dialectical failures, but rather as a series of theoretical advances that led to empirical discoveries. Indeed, the Ionian tradition can be seen as the origin of the scientific conception of the world that we still hold today.

Industry Reviews

"Essential... Due to the depth and breadth of its research, its lucidity, and the cogency of its arguments, Explaining the Cosmos will undoubtedly become a new standard against which future work on the pre-Socratics is measured."--Choice "Graham harks back to Harold Cherniss's critical reading of Aristotle as more of an engaged interpreter than objective historian of the Presocratics... This is a genuine achievement... [M]uch of what Graham offers ... is persuasive, illuminating, and occasionally brilliant."--Simon Trepanier, Isis "[S]cholars everywhere will be grateful for this engaging intellectual adventure."--Robert Hahn, Journal of the History of Philosophy

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

More in Ancient Western Philosophy

On the Shortness of Life

The Stoic Classic

Hardcover

RRP $24.95

$21.75

13%
OFF

The Fourth Pillar

Modern Stoicism and the Philosophy of High Performance

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF

Discipline Is Destiny

The Power of Self-Control

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

Meditations : Collins Classics - Marcus Aurelius

$9.75

The Silent Patient

The record-breaking, multimillion copy Sunday Times bestselling thriller and TikTok sensation

Paperback

RRP $22.99

$16.99

26%
OFF

Wisdom Takes Work

Timeless Stoic values from the multimillion-selling author of THE DAILY STOIC

Hardcover

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF

Letters from a Stoic

The Penguin Classics L210

Paperback

RRP $22.99

$20.75

10%
OFF

The Nicomachean Ethics

Penguin Classics

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

Meditations : Popular Penguins

Popular Penguins

Paperback

RRP $15.99

$14.75

Discourses and Selected Writings

Penguin Classics

Paperback

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF

The History of Philosophy

Paperback

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF

Meditations

The Philosophy Classic

Hardcover

RRP $24.95

$21.75

13%
OFF

Penguin Books Great Ideas: On the Shortness of Life

On the Shortness of Life

Paperback

RRP $16.99

$15.99

Reasons Not to Worry : How to be Stoic in chaotic times - Brigid Delaney

$19.75

21%
OFF

Meditations

Penguin Classics

Paperback

RRP $19.99

$15.75

21%
OFF

Meditations

A New Translation

Hardcover

RRP $45.00

$38.75

14%
OFF

The Daily Dad

366 Meditations on Parenting, Love and Raising Great Kids

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

13%
OFF

Tao Te Ching

Traditional Wisdom

Paperback

RRP $27.99

$23.75

15%
OFF

Leviathan, Large Print Multi-Volume Set : Leviathan, Large Print Multi-Volume Set - Thomas Hobbes

$27.99

24%
OFF

Preface	p. xi
Abbreviations and Brief References	p. xv
The Ionian Program	p. 1
Anaximander's Project	p. 4
Anaximander's Project as a Scientific Program	p. 14
Toward an Understanding of the Ionian Tradition	p. 18
Anaximander's Principles	p. 28
Out of the Boundless	p. 28
Powers in Conflict	p. 34
Elements and Powers	p. 39
Anaximenes' Theory of Change	p. 45
The Theory of Change	p. 45
Material Monism	p. 48
Problems with Material Monism	p. 50
Anaximenes and the Generating Substance Theory	p. 67
Anaximenes' Achievement	p. 82
The Generating Substance Theory as an Explanatory Hypothesis	p. 85
GST Formalized	p. 85
A Compromise View?	p. 88
GST as a Paradigm of Explanation	p. 91
Advantages of GST	p. 98
Disadvantages of GST	p. 106
Heraclitus's Criticism of Ionian Philosophy	p. 113
Extreme Interpretations	p. 113
Barnes's Argument for Heraclitus-F	p. 118
The Unity of Opposites	p. 122
The Flux Thesis	p. 129
Heraclitus and GST	p. 137
Parmenides' Criticism of Ionian Philosophy	p. 148
Parmenides' Response to Heraclitus	p. 148
Parmenides' Criticism	p. 155
Properties of What-Is	p. 162
Deceptive Cosmology	p. 169
Parmenides' Scientific Discovery	p. 179
Parmenides' Response to GST	p. 182
Anaxagoras and Empedocles: Eleatic Pluralists	p. 186
The Standard Interpretation	p. 186
Questions about the Standard Intepretation	p. 188
The Elemental Substance Theory	p. 195
Parmenides and Origins of the Elemental Substance Theory	p. 201
Two Theories of Elements	p. 208
Empirical Advances	p. 220
The Elemental Substance Theory as an Explantory Hypothesis	p. 224
EST Formalized	p. 224
EST and Eleatic Theory	p. 227
EST with and without Emergence	p. 229
Advantages of EST	p. 233
Disadvantages of EST	p. 241
The Atomist Reform	p. 250
The Challenge	p. 250
Foundational Arguments	p. 256
Atomism and EST	p. 269
Birth of the Cosmos	p. 271
Diogenes of Apollonia and Material Monism	p. 277
Diogenes in Modern Accounts	p. 277
Diogenes in a New Light	p. 279
Diogenes in Historical Context	p. 284
A New Theory of Matter	p. 290
The Ionian Legacy	p. 294
Paradigms of Explanation	p. 294
Explanatory Progress	p. 298
The Primacy of Ionian Research	p. 302
References	p. 309
Index Locorum	p. 327
General Index	p. 337
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Explaining the Cosmos

The Ionian Tradition of Scientific Philosophy

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Ancient Western Philosophy

On the Shortness of Life

The Stoic Classic

The Fourth Pillar

Modern Stoicism and the Philosophy of High Performance

Discipline Is Destiny

The Power of Self-Control

Meditations

Collins Classics

Collins Classics - The Republic

Collins Classics

The Silent Patient

The record-breaking, multimillion copy Sunday Times bestselling thriller and TikTok sensation

Wisdom Takes Work

Timeless Stoic values from the multimillion-selling author of THE DAILY STOIC

Letters from a Stoic

The Penguin Classics L210

The Nicomachean Ethics

Penguin Classics

Meditations : Popular Penguins

Popular Penguins

Discourses and Selected Writings

Penguin Classics

The History of Philosophy

Meditations

The Philosophy Classic

Penguin Books Great Ideas: On the Shortness of Life

On the Shortness of Life

Reasons Not to Worry

How to be Stoic in chaotic times

Modern Library Classics (Paperback)

A New Translation

Meditations

Penguin Classics

Meditations

A New Translation

The Daily Dad

366 Meditations on Parenting, Love and Raising Great Kids

Tao Te Ching

Traditional Wisdom

Leviathan, Large Print Multi-Volume Set

Leviathan, Large Print Multi-Volume Set

Leviathan, Large Print Multi-Volume Set

Leviathan, Large Print Multi-Volume Set

Philosophy

From Late Antiquity to the Renaissance

We're All Going to Die

Practical happiness for the time you have left

This product is categorised by