Occidental Studies

Abstract Nature or Physis is one of the most fundamental concepts of Greek philosophy. Physis is a Greek philosophical, theological, and scientific term, usually translated into English—according to its Latin translation "natura"—as "nature".

This article defines the various concepts of physis in Greek civilization From the Age of Myth to the Philosophical Period. It will also discuss the two terms physis and fusis and the discussion about which one will be correct in pronunciation.

It is very important to pay attention to the mythological meanings of the word physis in the tradition of Orpheus and pre-Socratic philosophers. After researching the pre-Socratic concept of physis, we will address the approach of Plato and, more importantly, Aristotle. In particular, two important works of Aristotle (physic and metaphysics) that are Important sources of this research. Another important point in understanding the concept of nature in Greek is its different to techne. From Aristotle's point of view, techne is any artificial thing that is created by human intervention, Theoretical like poetry and practical as architecture. But man has no involvement in the creation of nature and natural objects. Therefore, in Greek philosophy, there is a opposition between nature and techne.

Abstract According to Aristotelian tradition, Thales is known as the first philosopher, but in ancient Greece, he was called a wise man or sophos. Sophos and Sophia, meaning wisdom, at that time implied two aspects of thought and action so that Thales was mentioned in the list of the seven ancient sages that except Thales, the rest were politician or legislator. Anecdotes related to Thales indicate both aspects so that these anecdotes show him a man concerning action as well as thought. These two aspects of action and thought would be better known by analyzing the conception of arche in his teaching so that upon this analysis, arche as the way that means the beginning or origin of universe and the basis of his cosmology, it implies the governance and domination and his political thought depends on this conception. This article aims to clarify two aspects of thought and action in the concept of sophia by giving such analyzing so it would appear that Thales as a sophos was not only a thinker, but a thinker who his thought was in conjunction with action.

Abstract Along with composing the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Works and Days, Homer and Hesiod did not only create everlasting works, but they rhymed such a mythical world from which Greek culture emerged and flourished. For this reason, Greeks did not consider their poets and especially these two poets as mere their artists but moreover, saw them as their mentors. Thus, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of their mythical world and its essential concepts in order to grasp the Greek culture in general and its literature and philosophy in particular. The purpose of this paper is to examine these concepts to clear that on what conception of relation between god and human, the Greek culture and thought was shaped.