MAPE ASSIGNMENT 1 (Essay Sample)

Name Professor Course Date MAPE Assignment 1 Question 1 Thales argument that water is the basic element that underlies all things seems like a naïve assumption from the standpoint of modern science. However, this view was accepted by highly revered philosophers like Plato and Aristotle during the prescientific era due to two reasons. First, the concept of arche in naturalistic causes was a popular topic among Greeks. They believed that matter is eternal and always existed. Their only concern was which of the primary elements of matter, namely earth, air, water, and fire, was the originator or arche of cosmos. Thales considered water to be the originating principle because it was the only element that could transform into other states, namely water, ice, and gas (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). This corroborated with the idea of circle of life. Water was also ubiquitous since it existed everywhere, including in the sky, seas, plants, and animals. Since water is the only element present everywhere, it can only be concluded that it is an originator of the universe. Secondly, Thales provided an alternative kind of thinking that was different from the prevailing religious orthodoxy. The traditional religious accounts at the time dwelled on the supernatural and went beyond the observable. However, intellectual awakening pushed people to seek simpler principles that would help them understand the universe. Thales idea, therefore, catered to this desire as he did not use anthropomorphic beings to attempt to explain the universe. Question 2 It is a fact that the early Greek philosophers did not have scientific equipment or experiments to support their theories. However, we cannot dispute their discoveries as unfounded speculations that should be dismissed because Greek philosophers were the originators of modern science. Greek philosophers questioned the beliefs of relig...