Empedocles

Empedocles (c. 494 – c. 434 BC) was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and a native citizen of Akragas, a Greek city in Sicily. His philosophy is best known for originating the cosmogonic theory of the four classical elements: fire, air, water, and earth. He also proposed two fundamental forces, Love (Philo­tes) and Strife (Neikos), which acted upon these elements, causing them to combine and separate, respectively. This theory of the four elements became a cornerstone of Western thought for over two millennia. Empedocles also challenged traditional practices, advocating against animal sacrifice and meat consumption, which he linked to his distinctive doctrine of reincarnation (metempsychosis). He believed souls, originally divine beings, were punished by being reincarnated through various forms of life, including humans, animals, and plants, for a cycle of 30,000 incarnations. His ideas on knowledge and perception suggested that like is known by like, with elements within us perceiving external elements. He is also credited with early theories on light and vision, proposing that light travels and that we see because light streams from our eyes to touch objects. Much of Empedocles' work survives in fragments, more than that of most other pre-Socratic philosophers. His death was mythologized, with various accounts suggesting he died dramatically, perhaps by leaping into Mount Etna. His writings, primarily in verse, include "On Nature" and "On Purifications," exploring cosmology, physics, psychology, and ethics. Empedocles' influence extended to later philosophers like Lucretius and figures in art and literature.