Empedocles, a Greek philosopher and poet from the 5th century BCE, is known for his influential ideas on nature and the universe. His quotes provide valuable insights into his philosophical thoughts and beliefs. In this article, we have curated a collection of Empedocles quotes that will inspire and provoke contemplation.
Empedocles believed in the existence of four elements – earth, air, fire, and water – and the constant interplay between them. He also proposed the concept of Love and Strife as the driving forces behind the cycles of creation and destruction in the universe. These quotes reflect his views on the nature of reality and the human condition.
Whether you are a philosophy enthusiast or simply seeking wisdom, these Empedocles quotes will surely leave you pondering the mysteries of life and existence.
Read these Empedocles quotes
“For ’tis the same to speak and to keep silent.”
“And they have agreed upon a separation, to assign a portion to each, and to mix them together with one another.”
“But these things never cease changing place continually, and they never cease mingling with one another, since they are driven across the bright air from one to another by the pressure of the blows.”
“For the way the senses travel is akin to the way of the blood. For the blood, too, is a river of a kind, and everything in it passes through one place after another, and each is driven by the one next to it, and the first by the last.”
“In them [animals] the earth is predominant; in men, the air.”
“And on the other hand, if you take away the blood from the flesh, or the flesh from the blood, in whichever way you separate them, you have no more a man, if you take away the hot from the cold, or the cold from the hot.”
“It is the same thing that can preserve and destroy, that can be and not be, that can receive and not receive, that can suffer and do, that can be affected and cause.”
“For it is permitted to learn even from one’s enemies.”
“It is a god who, when he wishes, reveals these things and when he wishes conceals them.”
“For what you wish to happen to another, first do yourself, for you will find what you do to others is done to you.”
“Thus it is necessary for you to learn all things, both the unshakable heart of persuasive truth and the opinions of mortals in which there is no true warranty.”
“And learn that everything is one thing.”
“For it is necessary that what is born shall perish, and that what is gathered shall be dispersed.”
“For one by one you will find them all in all things.”
“For what is, is in what is not, and what is not, in what is.”
“While the limbs and the flesh of mortals are being nourished with your [gods’] divine blood, they have become steadfast and have received the breath of life. For in these matters there is no distinction between divine and mortal.”
“Thus the things which are both mortal and divine, mingling with one another, have been combined to form the cosmos.”
“For in blood are mingled all things that were, and are, and will be.”
“For it is necessary for one thing to precede another, but it is necessary that what is born shall perish, and that what is gathered shall be dispersed.”
“For what is, is in what is not, and what is not, in what is.”
“But the nature of the gods is not to be seen by human eyes, nor to be seized by human hands.”
These quotes from Empedocles offer a glimpse into the philosophical musings of this ancient Greek thinker. They encourage us to reflect on the eternal cycles of nature, the interconnectedness of all things, and the limitations of human perception. Explore these quotes and let them inspire your own contemplations on the mysteries of existence.
