114 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



falling now on one meaning, now on another, according to the direction 

 of interest from time to time. We have had occasion to note this 

 tendency in regard to <f>v<ris and have seen, for example, that the per- 

 sonification of Nature has a clear history, arriving at the close of the 

 pre-Socratic period at a stage that rendered the subsequent teleologi- 

 cal interpretation of the world a foregone conclusion. It behooves us, 

 therefore, to inquire what were the principal questions asked concern- 

 ing Nature in the pre-Socratic period, in order, if possible, to deter- 

 mine the direction of interest upon which depends the selection of 

 meanings attached to the term $u'o-is. 



We may prosecute this inquiry in either of two ways. First, we 

 may study the fragmentary remains of the literature of pre-Socratic 

 philosophy and extract from its implicit logic the answer to our ques- 

 tion. Or we may approach the matter indirectly, asking what were 

 the ideals of science in that age as we find them reflected in the non- 

 philosophical or only quasi-philosophical literature of the time and 

 of the following period which received its inspiration from the pre- 

 Socratics. Strictly both methods should be followed conjointly ; for 

 only thus could we arrive at a conclusion that might be justly regarded 

 as definitive. But a moment's thought will convince any reader that 

 the limits of such a study as this could not possibly be made to yield 

 to a detailed examination of the individual systems with a view to 

 deducing from them the interests of their propounders. So compre- 

 hensive a review must be undertaken in connexion with a history of 

 early Greek philosophy, which is not, and cannot be, the scope of this 

 study. Our attention shall, therefore, be directed to the second 

 means of approach, with only an occasional glance at the systems of 

 the pre-Socratic philosophers themselves. We may pursue this course 

 with the better conscience because it is self-evident that the scientific 

 ideals of the age were, or soon became, common property, to the defini- 

 tion and development of which every man of science contributed what 

 he had to offer. Nowhere does the unity of pre-Socratic thought 

 more clearly appear than in this field, where philosophers and medical 

 theorists cooperated in laying broad and sure foundations. 



Hippocrates gives us the best glimpse of the scientific ideals of the 

 age ; and it will prove worth our while to pause for a moment to learn 

 what he has to teach us. The true physician is called the child of his 

 art ; 131 he is disinterested in his devotion to it, since the love of one's 

 art involves necessarily a love of mankind. 132 The charlatan was 



131 IlapayyeXiaL, 7 (9, 260 Littre) i-rjTpbs ayados . . . o/jlotsx 1 ' ^ KaXeo/xevos. 



132 Among the virtues which the physician is said to possess in common with 

 the philosopher in II. et'cr^^Gcrw^s, 5 (9, 232 Littre) is &<pL\apyvpli). II. irjTpod, 1 (9, 



