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Chapter 6 - Knowing Nature as a God

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2024

Chiara Ferella
Affiliation:
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
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Summary

Chapter 6 explores the interconnection between natural philosophy and liberation from rebirth, arguing first that knowledge of the world is necessary to change one’s being from mortal to divine nature and, second, that purifications play a central role in knowledge acquisition. After a consideration of epistemic reflections at Empedocles’ time and the role of initiation in attaining true knowledge, it is shown that Empedocles explains the change of being into divine nature at the level of the elements. Indeed, in processes of perception and knowledge acquisition, elements coming from external effluvia interact with elements in the body and thereby modify the mind’s mixture. It follows that the revelation of Empedocles’ philosophy can change our mind to the point that it will become a divine mind. The possibility of becoming divine through knowledge of the world goes along with the training one must undergo to be adequately prepared to receive it. This training coincides with processes of purification, and Empedocles explains from a physiological standpoint how these enable the structure of the elements of our mind to be enhanced to the point where it becomes attuned to the divine.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Knowing Nature as a God
  • Chiara Ferella, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
  • Book: Reconstructing Empedocles' Thought
  • Online publication: 01 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009392600.007
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  • Knowing Nature as a God
  • Chiara Ferella, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
  • Book: Reconstructing Empedocles' Thought
  • Online publication: 01 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009392600.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Knowing Nature as a God
  • Chiara Ferella, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Germany
  • Book: Reconstructing Empedocles' Thought
  • Online publication: 01 February 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009392600.007
Available formats
×