Empedocles Facts & Worksheets

Empedocles was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the fifth century BCE. He is regarded as one of the pre-Socratic thinkers and was born in the Greek colony of Acragas in Sicily.

See the fact file below for more information on Empedocles, or you can download our 23-page Empedocles worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

PERSONAL LIFE

• Although Empedocles made a substantial contribution to philosophy, nothing is known about his private life. There are, however, a number of reports that shed light on his personality and personal life.
• In ancient Greece, Empedocles was a controversial person whose opinions frequently clashed with those of other philosophers and thinkers of the period. 
• For instance, he disregarded the pre-Socratic philosophers’ prevailing view that there is a single, immutable element underlying all of reality. Instead, he asserted that the universe we see around us was made up of the four fundamental elements of earth, air, fire, and water that interacted and separated in different ways.
• Empedocles had a considerable influence on the advancement of Western thought despite his oddities. Other philosophers, like Aristotle and Plato, were affected by his theories on the four elements and the forces of love and strife. Additionally, the advancement of science was influenced by his theories, particularly in the areas of physics and chemistry.

WRITINGS

Zoogony

• The idea of zoogony, which holds that all living things on Earth descended from various combinations of fundamental elements, was something that Empedocles believed in. 
• Empedocles described the zoogony process as cyclical, with the ingredients combining and separating over time to produce various kinds of life.
• According to Empedocles, diverse living things were created by combining the four fundamental elements of earth, air, fire, and water in varying ratios.
• He thought that primitive organisms like worms and insects, which were created from the union of earth and water, were the first to emerge. As time went on, more advanced species like fish and birds were produced by combining air with either water or fire.
• Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle were influenced by Empedocles’ zoogony concept, which also had an impact on succeeding thinkers.
• It placed a strong emphasis on the notion that all living things are interdependent on the natural world and that the four elements are crucial to the emergence and growth of life.

Cosmogony

• In his writings, Empedocles characterized cosmogony as a cyclical process in which the forces of love and strife brought the atoms together and then drove them apart. 
• He thought that all the motions and changes in the cosmos, from the creation of stars and planets to the development of plants and animals, were caused by this cycle of love and strife.
• Empedocles also held to the idea of the “cosmic egg,” a kind of metaphorical construction he thought housed all of the fundamental components of the universe in an unorganized condition. 
• The forces of love and strife finally caused this egg to crack open, allowing the elements inside to come together to form the universe.

Perception/Cognition

• According to Empedocles, perception is an active process in which the senses combine and separate information from the outside world. 
• He believed that a person’s perception was influenced by their emotions and intellect but that it could be shaped and modified through deliberate practice and effort. 
• The perception theories of Empedocles influenced the growth of Western philosophy and science and still influence discussions about the nature of perception and consciousness today.
• The senses could be tricked, according to Empedocles. He claimed that since the senses were susceptible to deception and illusions, they could not always be believed. 
• For instance, he thought that an object’s appearance might vary based on the angle from which it was viewed or the lighting circumstances it was observed in.

PHILOSOPHY ON PURIFICATIONS

• Empedocles examines the idea of soul purification through numerous activities in his book, “Purifications.” He held that the four elements made up the soul and that an imbalance between them may cause the soul to become unclean. 
• Empedocles suggested a number of methods for purifying the soul, including fasting, avoiding particular meals, and cleansing ceremonies.
• The idea of catharsis, also known as Empedocles’ philosophy of purification, asserted that everything in the world is through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. 
• He thought that a person’s or an animal’s soul might be purified through a transmigration process in which it would move through many forms of life, both human and animal, until it attained perfection and fused with the divine.
• Empedocles likewise held that intelligence and knowledge might help the soul become purified. He claimed that the soul might acquire wisdom through recalling its previous incarnations and experiences through a process of remembering. 
• The soul can achieve a condition of eternal life and break away from the cycle of birth and death in this way.

TRANSMIGRATIONS

• The concept of transmigration, also referred to as metempsychosis or the transmigration of souls was broadly recognized by Empedocles. 
• After death, the soul of an individual would undergo a cycle of reincarnation, according to Empedocles. The soul would transition between bodies, living various types of existence and picking up new teachings along the way. He held that the soul could not become pure and free from the material world without going through the cycle of rebirth.
• According to Empedocles, the degree of purity or impurity of a person’s activities determines whether the soul can transfer from one body to another. He believed that the soul would be rewarded or punished according to its deeds and that it would be given a new body suitable to its degree of purity or impurity.
• Plato and Pythagoras, among others, were affected by Empedocles’ theories on transmigration. 
• In addition to their own beliefs about the immortality of the soul and the cycle of reincarnation, they also held other beliefs regarding the nature of the soul and the afterlife.

GODS AND DEMONS

• The concepts of gods and devils that Empedocles held were strongly related to his theories about the nature of the universe. The gods and devils, according to Empedocles, were in charge of the operations of the natural world. 
• He claimed that although the demons were in charge of chaos and natural calamities, the gods were in charge of the stars and planets. Empedocles believed that via ceremonial actions like prayer and sacrifice, people might converse with the gods and demons.

Empedocles Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Empedocles across 23 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Empedocles, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the fifth century BCE. He is regarded as one of the pre-Socratic thinkers and was born in the Greek colony of Acragas in Sicily.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Empedocles Facts
2. Zoogony
3. Power of Four
4. Cosmogony
5. Love and Strife
6. Human Perception
7. Different Views
8. Transmigration
9. Soul Cleansing
10. The Gods and Demons
11. Words to Think About

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Empedocles?

Empedocles was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BCE. He was born in Acragas (modern-day Agrigento) in Sicily and is best known for his theories on the nature of the universe and his concept of the four classical elements.

What were Empedocles’ ideas about the four elements?

Empedocles believed that all matter in the universe was composed of four fundamental elements: earth, air, fire, and water. He considered these elements to be eternal and unchanging. According to his theory, different combinations and proportions of these elements gave rise to the various substances and phenomena in the world.

What was Empedocles’ view on the nature of reality?

Empedocles proposed that reality was not composed solely of the four elements, but also included two opposing forces called Love (attraction) and Strife (repulsion). These forces were responsible for the mixing and separating of the elements, resulting in the cyclical processes of creation and destruction in the universe.

What was Empedocles’ theory of perception?

Empedocles believed that perception occurred through the interaction of the senses with external objects. He posited that the senses were like extensions of the elements present in the body. For instance, the sense of taste was associated with the element of earth, while the sense of sight was connected to the element of fire.

How did Empedocles explain the origin and development of life?

Empedocles believed in the concept of transmigration of souls, suggesting that living beings were formed by the combination of elements in different proportions. He proposed that souls were immortal and could inhabit different bodies over time. Empedocles also suggested a rudimentary theory of natural selection, arguing that organisms that were better adapted to their environment were more likely to survive and reproduce.

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