presocratic
/ˌpriːsəˈkrætɪk/
adjective
- Relating to the ancient Greek philosophers who lived before Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE), or to their ideas and writings.
- Her essay examines presocratic ideas about the fundamental substance of the universe.
- Many presocratic texts survive only in fragments quoted by later authors.
- The presocratic philosophers focused on explaining the natural world without relying on mythology.
noun
- A philosopher who lived and worked before Socrates, such as Thales, Heraclitus, or Pythagoras.
- We studied several presocratics, including Anaximander and Parmenides.
- Thales is often considered the first presocratic because he sought natural explanations for phenomena.
- The presocratics laid the groundwork for Western science and philosophy.