Empedocles 恩培多柯勒

Birth 490 BC

Death 430 BC

School/tradition 學(xué)派/傳統(tǒng)Pluralist School 多元論學(xué)派

Main interests 主要興趣cosmogenesis and ontology 宇宙發(fā)生論與本體論

Notable ideas 著名思想

All matter is made up of four elements: water, earth, air and fire. 萬物由四元素—水再扭、土超棺、氣、火--構(gòu)成执庐。

Influenced by 所受影響Parmenides, Pythagoreanism 巴門尼德映之、畢達(dá)哥拉斯主義

Influenced 影響

Gorgias of Leontini, Aristotle, Friedrich Nietzsche萊昂蒂尼的高爾吉亞，亞里士多德，弗里德里希?尼采

Empedocles was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and a citizen of Agrigentum, a Greek colony in Sicily. Empedocles' philosophy is best known for being the origin of the cosmogenic theory of the four classical elements. He also proposed powers called Love and Strife which would act as forces to bring about the mixture and separation of the elements. These physical speculations were part of a history of the universe which also dealt with the origin and development of life. Influenced by the Pythagoreans, he supported the doctrine of reincarnation. Empedocles is generally considered the last Greek philosopher to record his ideas in verse. Some of his work still survives today, more so than in the case of any other Presocratic philosopher. Empedocles' death was mythologized by ancient writers, and has been the subject of a number of literary treatments.

恩培多柯勒是一位前蘇格拉底哲學(xué)家，他是西西里的希臘殖民地阿克臘加斯公民蛤铜。恩培多柯勒的哲學(xué)由于四根說的宇宙發(fā)生論最為知名。他也提出“愛”和“恨”兩種力量丛肢，作為四元素分離與結(jié)合的因素昂羡。這些自然猜測是研究生命的起源與演化的宇宙歷史的組成部分。受畢達(dá)哥拉斯學(xué)派的影響摔踱，他支持輪回轉(zhuǎn)世說。恩培多柯勒被公認(rèn)為最后一位用詩文來記錄其思想的希臘哲學(xué)家怨愤。他的某些作品至今猶存派敷，比任何前蘇格拉底哲學(xué)家留存的作品都多。恩怕多柯勒之死被許多古代作家寫成了神話撰洗，一直是很多文學(xué)作品的主題篮愉。

Empedocles was born, c. 490 BC, at Agrigentum (Acragas) in Sicily to a distinguished family. Very little is known about his life. His father Meto seems to have been instrumental in overthrowing the tyrant of Agrigentum, presumably Thrasydaeus in 470 BC. Empedocles continued the democratic tradition of his house by helping to overthrow the succeeding oligarchic government. He is said to have been magnanimous in his support of the poor; severe in persecuting the overbearing conduct of the aristocrats; and he even declined the sovereignty of the city when it was offered to him.

恩培多柯勒大約生于公元前490年西西里阿克臘加斯的一個名門望族家庭。我們對他的生活知之甚少差导。其父邁托在公元470年幫助推翻了阿克臘加斯的暴政试躏，大概是拉緒德爾斯。恩培多柯勒繼承了他家的民主傳統(tǒng)设褐，斑竹推翻了后來的寡頭政府颠蕴。據(jù)說他對窮人極其慷慨泣刹；這遭到了貴族專橫行為的冷酷迫害；甚至當(dāng)讓他在城邦掌權(quán)之時也予以拒絕犀被。

His brilliant oratory, his penetrating knowledge of nature, and the reputation of his marvellous powers, including the curing of diseases, and averting epidemics, produced many myths and stories surrounding his name. He was said to have been a magician and controller of storms, and he himself, in his famous poem “Purifications” seems to have promised miraculous powers, including the destruction of evil, the curing of old age, and the controlling of wind and rain.

他出色的口才椅您，對自然的敏銳覺察，以及他崇高的治病寡键、預(yù)防流行病的名望掀泳，產(chǎn)生了很多有關(guān)他的神話與故事。有人說他是一位魔術(shù)師和暴風(fēng)雨的掌管者西轩，他自己也在著名的詩 ‘凈化’中暗示了這種神奇的力量员舵，包括消除罪惡、醫(yī)治衰老和控制風(fēng)雨藕畔。

According to Aristotle, he died at the age of sixty, (c. 430 BC) even though other writers have him living up to the age of one hundred and nine. Likewise, there are myths concerning his death.

盡管有些作家讓恩培多柯勒活到了109歲马僻，但按照亞里士多德，恩培多柯勒活了六十歲劫流，那一年是公元前430年巫玻。同樣，對他的死也有很多神話祠汇。

Empedocles is considered the last Greek philosopher to write in verse and the surviving fragments of his teaching are from two poems, Purifications and On Nature. Empedocles was undoubtedly acquainted with the didactic poems of Xenophanes and Parmenides - allusions to the latter can be found in the fragments, - but he seems to have surpassed them in the animation and richness of his style, and in the clearness of his descriptions and diction. Aristotle called him the father of rhetoric, and, although he acknowledged only the meter as a point of comparison between the poems of Empedocles and the epics of Homer, he described Empedocles as Homeric and powerful in his diction. Lucretius speaks of him with enthusiasm, and evidently viewed him as his model. The two poems together comprised 5000 lines. About 550 lines of his poetry survive, although because ancient writers rarely mentioned which poem they were quoting, it is not always certain to which poem the quotes belong. Some scholars now believe that there was only one poem, and that the Purifications merely formed the beginning of On Nature.

恩培多柯勒是希臘哲學(xué)家中最后一個以詩文寫作的人仍秤，他現(xiàn)存的論述的片段來自兩首詩，《凈化》和《論自然》可很。恩培多柯勒無疑熟悉色諾芬尼和巴門尼德的說教詩—我們可以在片段中看到恩培多柯勒提到了后者诗力，但是恩培多柯勒在文體的活力與豐富性以及論述的清晰性與修辭方面超越了他們。亞里士多德說他是“修辭學(xué)之父”我抠，雖然他僅僅把格律詩作為恩培多柯勒的詩與荷馬史詩的比較之處苇本，但他把恩培多柯勒說成是在修辭上荷馬式的、強有力的菜拓。盧克萊修熱情洋溢地提到他瓣窄，而且顯然把恩培多柯勒作為他的榜樣。兩首詩共有5000行組成纳鼎。俺夕，雖然由于古代作者很少提到他們所援引的是那一首詩，所以我們并不總是確定所引用的那一首詩贱鄙，但我們知道恩培多柯勒大約有550行詩流傳下來劝贸。有些作者認(rèn)為只有一首詩，而且《凈化》只不過是《論自然》的開始部分逗宁。

Purifications 《凈化》

We possess only about 100 lines of his Purifications. It seems to have given a mythical account of the world which may, nevertheless, have been part of Empedocles' philosophical system. The first lines of the poem are preserved by Diogenes La?rtius:

我們只有《凈化》的大概100行映九。看來這些詩行對世界進(jìn)行了神話式的說明瞎颗，不過件甥，這種說明示恩培多柯勒哲學(xué)體系的組成部分捌议。這首詩的前面的內(nèi)容有戴奧真尼斯?拉爾修保存下來。

Friends who inhabit the mighty town by tawny Acragas

which crowns the citadel, caring for good deeds,

greetings; I, an immortal God, no longer mortal,

wander among you, honoured by all,

adorned with holy diadems and blooming garlands.

To whatever illustrious towns I go,

I am praised by men and women, and accompanied

by thousands, who thirst for deliverance,

some ask for prophecies, and some entreat,

for remedies against all kinds of disease.

居住在茶色的阿克臘加斯旁邊的根據(jù)地大城鎮(zhèn)的朋友們嚼蚀，喜做善事禁灼，相敬如賓；我轿曙，不朽的上帝弄捕，佩戴著神圣的王冠和盛開的花環(huán)，永遠(yuǎn)不死导帝，漫步在你們中間守谓，受眾人敬仰。無論到哪里您单，我都得到所有人的贊揚斋荞，周圍總是陪伴著無數(shù)渴望得救的人們，有些人請求預(yù)示虐秦，有些人祈求治療各種疾病平酿。

On Nature? 論自然

There are about 450 lines of his poem On Nature extant, including 70 lines which have been reconstructed from some papyrus scraps known as the Strasbourg Papyrus. The poem originally consisted of 2000 lines of hexameter verse. It was this poem which outlined his philosophical system. In it, Empedocles explains not only the nature and history of the universe, including his theory of the four classical elements, but he describes theories on causation, perception, and thought, as well as explanations of terrestrial phenomena and biological processes.

《論自然》一詩現(xiàn)在大約450行，包括70行是從被稱之為斯特拉斯堡草紙的一些草紙碎片修整而成的悦陋。此詩原由2000行六步格詩構(gòu)成蜈彼。正是這首詩顯示了他的哲學(xué)體系。在詩中俺驶，恩培多柯勒不僅解釋宇宙的性質(zhì)和歷史幸逆，包括他的四根說，他也描述了因果暮现、感覺與思想的理論與對陸地現(xiàn)象和生物過程的解釋还绘。

Although acquainted with the theories of the Eleatics and the Pythagoreans, Empedocles did not belong to any one definite school. An eclectic in his thinking, he combined much that had been suggested by Parmenides, Pythagoras and the Ionian schools. He was both a firm believer in Orphic mysteries, as well as a scientific thinker and a precursor of physical science. Aristotle mentions Empedocles among the Ionic philosophers, and he places him in very close relation to the atomist philosophers and to Anaxagoras.

他雖然熟悉愛利亞人與畢達(dá)哥拉斯學(xué)派的觀點，但是恩怕多柯勒并不屬于任何明確的學(xué)派栖袋。他在思想上是折中的拍顷，結(jié)合了很多巴門尼德、畢達(dá)哥拉斯與愛奧尼亞學(xué)派的觀點塘幅。他既是俄爾普斯教義的堅信者昔案，也是一位科學(xué)的思想家與自然科學(xué)的先驅(qū)。亞里士多德在艾奧尼亞哲學(xué)家中提到了恩培多柯勒晌块，認(rèn)為他同原子論哲學(xué)家和阿那柯薩哥拉有著十分密切的關(guān)系。

Empedocles, like the Ionian philosophers and the atomists, tried to find the basis of all change. They did not, like Heraclitus, consider the coming into existence and motion as the existence of things, and rest and tranquillity as the non-existence, because they had derived from the Eleatics the conviction that an existence could not pass into non-existence, and vice versa. In order to allow change to occur in the world, against the views of the Eleatics, they viewed changes as the result of mixture and separation of unalterable substances. Thus Empedocles said that a coming into existence from a non-existence, as well as a complete death and annihilation, are impossible; what we call coming into existence and death is only mixture and separation of what was mixed.

與愛奧尼亞哲學(xué)家和原子論者一樣帅霜，恩培多柯勒企圖發(fā)現(xiàn)萬物變化的基礎(chǔ)匆背。他們沒有像赫拉克利特那樣，把生成與運動看作是事物的存在方式身冀，把靜止與寧靜看成非存在钝尸，因為他們繼承了愛利亞人的這一信念：存在不可能變成非存在括享，非存在也不可能變成存在。為了針對愛利亞人的觀點承認(rèn)世界中發(fā)生的變化珍促，他們把變化看成是不變物質(zhì)的混合與分離的結(jié)果铃辖。所以，恩培多柯勒認(rèn)為猪叙，從非存在生成存在娇斩、全然消亡與毀滅是不可能的；我們所說的生成與死亡只不過是混合與混合東西的分離穴翩。

The four elements 四元素—四根說

It was Empedocles who established four ultimate elements which make all the structures in the world - fire, air, water, earth. Empedocles called these four elements "roots", which, in typical fashion, he also identified with the mythical names of Zeus, Hera, Nestis, and Aidoneus. Empedocles never used the term "element", which seems to have been first used by Plato. According to the different proportions in which these four indestructible and unchangeable elements are combined with each other the difference of the structure is produced. It is in the aggregation and segregation of elements thus arising, that Empedocles, like the atomists, found the real process which corresponds to what is popularly termed growth, increase or decrease. Nothing new comes or can come into being; the only change that can occur is a change in the juxtaposition of element with element. This theory of the four elements became the standard dogma for the next two thousand years.

恩培多柯勒提出了四種基本元素—火犬第、氣、水芒帕、土是構(gòu)成世界所有結(jié)構(gòu)的基本元素歉嗓。他稱這四種元素為“四根”，在一般意義上說背蟆，他也認(rèn)同這些神話中的名字—宙斯鉴分、赫拉、冥王-愛多涅斯带膀，但他從來未使用過“元素”一詞志珍，這種說法由柏拉圖首先使用。這四種不可毀滅的本砰、從不變化的元素按照不同的比例彼此混合碴裙，就會產(chǎn)生不同的結(jié)構(gòu)。恩培多柯勒認(rèn)為点额，就是這四種元素的聚集與分離構(gòu)成了與大家稱之為成長舔株、增加或減少相一致的真實過程。沒有新的東西產(chǎn)生还棱；可能發(fā)生的唯一變化是元素與元素排列的變化载慈。四元素說后來成為下一個2000年的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)觀點。

Love and Strife 愛與恨

The four elements are, however, simple, eternal, and unalterable, and as change is the consequence of their mixture and separation, it was also necessary to suppose the existence of moving powers - to bring about mixture and separation. The four elements are eternally brought into union, and eternally parted from each other, by two divine powers, Love and Strife. Love explains the attraction of different forms of matter, and Strife accounts for their separation. If the elements are the content of the universe, then Love and Strife explain their variation and harmony. Love and Strife are attractive and repulsive forces which the ordinary eye can see working amongst people, but which really pervade the universe. They alternately hold empire over things, - neither, however, being ever quite absent.

可是珍手，四元素是簡單的办铡、永恒的、不變的琳要，因為變化是它們混合與分離的結(jié)果寡具，這就有必要假設(shè)引起這種混合與分離的推動力的存在。四元素有兩種神圣的力量—愛和恨推動稚补，不斷地產(chǎn)生統(tǒng)一與分離童叠。“愛”解釋不同形式的物質(zhì)之間的相互吸引课幕，而“恨”則說明他們彼此分離厦坛。如果這些元素是宇宙的內(nèi)容五垮，那么，愛和恨就解釋了它們的變化與和諧杜秸。愛和恨是在人們中間起作用的引力與斥力放仗，在宇宙中也是無處不在的。這兩種力量交替統(tǒng)治事物撬碟，可是诞挨，它們永不消失。

The sphere of Empedocles 恩培多柯勒的天體

As the best and original state, there was a time when the pure elements and the two powers co-existed in a condition of rest and inertness in the form of a sphere. The elements existed together in their purity, without mixture and separation, and the uniting power of Love predominated in the sphere: the separating power of Strife guarded the extreme edges of the sphere. Since that time, strife gained more sway and the bond which kept the pure elementary substances together in the sphere was dissolved. The elements became the world of phenomena we see today, full of contrasts and oppositions, operated on by both Love and Strife. The sphere being the embodiment of pure existence is the embodiment or representative of god. Empedocles assumed a cyclical universe whereby the elements return and prepare the formation of the sphere for the next period of the universe.

作為最佳的原始狀態(tài)小作，純凈的四元素與愛和恨兩種力量一度在靜止與無活力的狀態(tài)下共存于一個天體之中亭姥。這些元素以純潔、沒有混合與分離的狀態(tài)共存顾稀，愛的統(tǒng)一力在球體中占統(tǒng)治地位：恨的分離力保護(hù)著天體的邊緣地帶达罗。那時，恨獲得了進(jìn)一步的發(fā)展静秆，保持天體內(nèi)純潔的基本物質(zhì)統(tǒng)一的力量瓦解了粮揉。元素就變成了我們現(xiàn)在看到的現(xiàn)象世界--充滿了差別與敵對，這些都是在愛與恨的支配下得到的抚笔。作為純潔的存在化身的天體是上帝代表的化身扶认。恩培多柯勒提出了循環(huán)的宇宙蓄喇，四元素來回往返并為形成下一個時期的宇宙天體做準(zhǔn)備酱讶。

Cosmogony 宇宙進(jìn)化論

Since the time of the sphere, Strife has gained more sway; and the actual world is full of contrasts and oppositions, due to the combined action of both principles. Empedocles attempted to explain the separation of elements, the formation of earth and sea, of sun and moon, of atmosphere. He also dealt with the first origin of plants and animals, and with the physiology of humans. As the elements entered into combinations, there appeared strange results - heads without necks, arms without shoulders. Then as these fragmentary structures met, there were seen horned heads on human bodies, bodies of oxen with human heads, and figures of double sex. But most of these products of natural forces disappeared as suddenly as they arose; only in those rare cases where the parts were found to be adapted to each other, did the complex structures last. Thus the organic universe sprang from spontaneous aggregations, which suited each other as if this had been intended. Soon various influences reduced the creatures of double sex to a male and a female, and the world was replenished with organic life. It is possible (although anachronistic) to see this theory as a crude anticipation of Darwin's theory of natural selection.

隨著天體時代的到來，恨獲得越來越多的支配地位询筏；由于兩種基本力量的聯(lián)合行動膨蛮，真實世界充滿了差異與敵對叠纹。恩培多柯勒企圖解釋元素的分離、地球與海的形成敞葛、太陽與月亮的形成誉察、大氣的形成。他也考慮了植物惹谐、動物與人類生理機(jī)能的最初起源持偏。隨著四元素的結(jié)合，就會出現(xiàn)前所未有的結(jié)果：沒有脖子的頭氨肌、沒有肩膀的胳膊鸿秆。然后，當(dāng)這些片斷結(jié)構(gòu)相遇時怎囚，就會出現(xiàn)人身上長著犄角的頭卿叽，長著人腦袋的牛身，雙性別的人。但是多數(shù)這些自然力量的產(chǎn)物就會馬上消失附帽；只有在非常偶然的機(jī)會彼此適合的部分結(jié)合在一起，復(fù)雜的結(jié)構(gòu)才能延續(xù)下去井誉。因此蕉扮，有機(jī)界產(chǎn)生于自發(fā)的組合，似乎這是一種有目的的匹配颗圣。不久喳钟，各種力量把兩性動物還原成雄性與雌性，世界上就開始有了有機(jī)生命在岂”荚颍可以（雖然年代錯配）把這種觀點看成是達(dá)爾文自然選擇理論的樸素預(yù)知。

Perception and knowledge 感知與知識

Knowledge is explained by the principle that the elements in the things outside us are perceived by the corresponding elements in ourselves. Like is known by like. The whole body is full of pores, (and hence respiration takes place over the whole frame). In the organs of sense these pores are specially adapted to receive the effluences which are continually rising from bodies around us; and in this way perception is explained. Thus in vision, certain particles go forth from the eye to meet similar particles given forth from the object, and the resultant contact constitutes vision. Perception is not merely a passive reflection of external objects.

只是由這樣的原理解釋：外在于我們的事物的元素被我們自己相應(yīng)的元素感知蔽午。同類知道同類易茬。我們整個身體充滿了小孔（因此呼吸發(fā)生于整個身體）。在感覺器官中及老，這些小孔特別適合于接受我們體外不斷產(chǎn)生的輻射抽莱；感知就因此得到了解釋。因而骄恶，視覺就是某些粒子從眼睛發(fā)出食铐，遇到從物體發(fā)生的類似粒子，所產(chǎn)生的接觸形成視覺僧鲁。感覺不止是對外部對象的被動反映虐呻。

Empedocles noted the limitation and narrowness of human perceptions. We see only a part, but fancy that we have grasped the whole. But the senses cannot lead to truth; thought and reflection must look at the thing on every side. It is the business of a philosopher, while laying bare the fundamental difference of elements, to display the identity that exists between what seem unconnected parts of the universe.

恩培多柯勒注意到了人類感覺的限制與狹隘。我們只能看到一部分寞秃，但認(rèn)為我們已經(jīng)掌握了整體斟叼。感覺無法到達(dá)真理；思想與反省必須看到事物的各個方面蜕该。在披露元素根本區(qū)別的同時犁柜，揭示存在于宇宙中未接觸部分的統(tǒng)一性是哲學(xué)家的事情。

Reincarnation 轉(zhuǎn)世

Like Pythagoras, Empedocles believed in the transmigration of the soul, that souls can be reincarnated between humans, animals and even plants. For Empedocles, all living things were on the same spiritual plane; plants and animals are links in a chain where humans are a link too. Empedocles urged a vegetarian lifestyle, since the bodies of animals are the dwelling places of punished souls. Wise people, who have learned the secret of life, are next to the divine, and their souls, free from the cycle of reincarnations are able to rest in happiness for eternity.

和畢達(dá)哥拉斯一樣堂淡，恩培多柯勒相信靈魂輪回馋缅，輪回可以發(fā)生于人類、動物甚至植物之間绢淀。對恩培多柯勒而言萤悴，所有的生命都存在于同樣的精神平臺上；植物和動物都處于一個鏈上皆的，人也在此鏈上覆履。恩培多柯勒主張素食生活方式，因為動物的身體是受懲罰的靈魂的住所。智者硝全，了解生命的秘密栖雾，僅次于神，因此他們的靈魂伟众，免予輪回循環(huán)析藕，可以安心于永恒的幸福。

Death? 死亡

Diogenes La?rtius records the legend that he died by throwing himself into an active volcano (Mount Etna in Sicily), so that people would believe his body had vanished and he had turned into an immortal god; however, the volcano threw back one of his bronze sandals, revealing the deceit. Another legend has it that he threw himself in the volcano to prove to his disciples that he was immortal; he believed he would come back as a god among man after being devoured by the fire.

戴奧真尼斯?拉爾修記載著這樣一個傳說：恩培多柯勒跳入一個活火山而死凳厢，所以人們認(rèn)為他的身體已經(jīng)消失账胧，恩培多柯勒已經(jīng)變成不朽的神；可是先紫，火山拋出了他的一支銅鞋治泥，證明這是欺人之談。還有一個傳說：他跳入火山向他的門徒證明他是不朽的遮精；他認(rèn)為在被火焰吞噬之后居夹，他可以回來可成為人中之神。

To the elements it came from

Everything will return.

Our bodies to earth,

Our blood to water,

Heat to fire,

Breath to air.

萬物都要重返其來源的元素本冲。我們的軀體變成土吮播，我們的血液變成水，我們的熱變成火眼俊，我們的呼吸變成氣意狠。

Socrates? 蘇格拉底

School/tradition 學(xué)派/傳統(tǒng)Classical Greek 古典希臘

Main interests 主要興趣epistemology, ethics 認(rèn)識論、倫理學(xué)

Notable ideas 著名思想Socratic method, Socratic irony 蘇格拉底方法疮胖、蘇格拉底反諷

Influenced? 影響

Plato, Aristotle, Aristippus, Antisthenes Western philosophy 柏拉圖环戈、亞里士多德、阿瑞斯提普斯澎灸、安提司泰尼西方哲學(xué)[犬儒哲學(xué)]

Socrates was a Classical Greek philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known only through the classical accounts of his students. Plato's dialogues are t