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Ionian School of Philosophy

Bevan Jones

Registered User
Before the emergence of this school, Sapiens explained the origin and nature of the world through myths of gods and heroes. We love to invent stories but the Ionians sought out nature-based explanations of the world, supported by fact and reasoning. They changed our world forever and the stories we come up with.

They each also sought out the element they believed most responsible for life, possibly drawing inspiration from the early Vedic period in India. I found it fascinating that the early members all argued for each one of the 5 elements that have permeated esoteric spiritual pursuits to this day.

- Thales believed the world originated from Water
- Anaximander put his faith in Earth
- Anaximenes thought that Air is the arche principle
- Heraclitus believed that everything was constantly changing, and supported Fire
- Anaxagorus thought that all the primary elements were ordered by the cosmic mind (Spirit)

All who followed, including Empedocles, Socrates and Aristotle, were ultimately influenced by these early giants. We owe them much.
 
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Bevan Jones

Registered User
Since Iona is not in the Ionian Sea it may be that those great minds lived in Scotland.

No, Iona in Scotland may have been inhabited at the time but it wouldn't have been known by that name. It only becomes well known later on, once Columba builds his monastery. Then it becomes really well known as the Royal Order of Scotland refers to it as the 2nd place, after Mount Moriah, where Masonry was established, before moving to the mainland at Kilwinning. The name link to the Greek school is tempting, but lazy.
 

Bevan Jones

Registered User
Here is an account that places Homer in Scotland....

It's certainly possible. But as the Ionian school comes after Homer we need to careful about inferring links between two places, especially as either place probably never referred to itself by those names at the time. If Odysseus, or Homer, did travel to the Scottish kingdom of Dal Riata at the time, he would have encountered the Picts, or their ancestors. In Europe (around today's Germany and the Hungarian salt mines) he would have encountered the Celts, and the Gauls in France, as well as the Urnfields in today's Belgium, Holland and Germany, and Germans in today's Norway and Denmark. Confusing to say the least.

It's very tempting to try and link the spread of the Egyptian mystery schools, via Ancient Greece and her wandering philosophers, to the later Gaelic and Celtic (Druidic) inhabitants of Scotland, especially as the Romans were held back at Hadrian's wall. But even today's most ardent Druidic scholars and supporters cannot find firm evidence of their deeper historical origins.
 
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