Empedocles

By Miguel Santiago

Empedocles was a pre-Socratic philosopher and poet with roots in Ancient Greece. He was born around 492 BCE in Agrigentum (present-day Agrigento, Sicily) and is believed to have died around 432 BCE.

Known for his multifaceted interests and aptitudes, Empedocles was not just a philosopher but a statesman, physician, religious teacher, and poet. Beyond these roles, he is also one of the founders of the four-element theory of matter – earth, fire, air, and water – which he proposed were constantly mixed and separated by the universal forces of Love (attraction) and Strife (repulsion).

Among his extant works, the two most well-known are “On Nature” and “Purifications”. His poem “On Nature” details his understanding of the physical world, while “Purifications” is more religious and ethical, hinting at a belief in reincarnation and the purification of the soul.

In addition to his philosophies about the natural world, Empedocles is remembered for his unusual death. Legend claims that he died by jumping into the active volcano of Mount Etna in Sicily, either to prove his immortality or to become a divine entity himself. This dramatic story, however, is generally considered symbolic rather than literal.

Empedocles’ work significantly influenced later thinkers, including those of the Platonic and Aristotelian schools. His theories on the elements and forces propounded a physical conception of the universe that endured centuries before modern scientific understanding.