474 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY. 



in its greatest splendour. They produced the first poet both in time 

 and place, for no such production properly so called was previously 

 in existence. Even at the dawn of their greatness Homer appeared, 

 and imagined a poem which, like the fabled Pallas, sprung- full grown 

 and perfect from the brain of the author of its existence. 



CHAPTER II. 



IONIAN SCHOOL. Thalcs, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxayoras. 



The art of eloquence and its cultivation has contributed not a little to 

 the progress of philosophy. An orator must either persuade or con- 

 vince, or he has failed in his object. For the first purpose it is ne- 

 cessary for him to apply himself to the study of the heart and under- 

 standing. For the latter, he must employ proofs, and establish argu- 

 ments which rest on some reasonable foundation. Gratuitous and un- 

 supported assertions carry but little weight when subjected to the 

 criticism of unwilling disciples. The prejudices of habit or nature 

 present a real obstacle which must be overcome by a real force. This 

 necessity 4 will insensibly lead the orator to studies which appear at 

 first sight the peculiar province of the philosopher. He too will not 

 look on idly and allow his patrimony to be usurped, but will vindicate 

 the arts of logic and disputation as his rights, and the mutual jealousy 

 of individual members of society will be turned to the advantage of 

 the public. Wherever then oratory was cultivated with more than 

 common care, philosophy would acquire a corresponding energy, 

 and spread its dominion over a wider extent ; and Greece has given 

 birth to more numerous and more celebrated orators than any other 

 country of the world. From the nature of the circumstances in which 

 the Greeks were placed, and the mode in which their minds were 

 first developed, four principal effects resulted which by their combi- 

 nation formed a sort of philosophic education which sooner or later 

 was destined to bear rich fruit. The enthusiasm which results from 

 this indulgence of generous passions, the admiration excited by the 

 contemplation of the chef d'oeuvres of art, the variety of their spec- 

 tacles, and the constant changes in the state of political affairs, all 

 tended to free the ideas from mannerism or prejudice, while curiosity 

 found ample food in the constant succession of novelties. The light 

 and fanciful character of the fine arts so ardently pursued by the 

 Greeks, might have infected their learning- with the taint of superfi- 

 ciality but for the exalted character and station with which wisdom 

 and knowledge were invested. Their legislators and public instruc- 

 tors, and the principal officers of state, were all chosen from among 

 such as had made ethical philosophy an object of paramount import- 

 ance in the seven studies they entered on. The human understand- 

 ing tried its strength gradually in generalization and deduction, and 

 the taste for order and symmetry produced this classification of every 

 different species of knowledge. The genius of wisdom alone was 

 wanting; to give birth to a regular system of philosophy, nor was this 

 want long left unsupplied. 



We must begin withThales, as the first who gave a new direction 

 (o the stream of ideas, more by his example than by his precepts. 



