Understanding Change and Motion, Essay Example

Change is the process by which particular elements move in continuous motion while undergoing particular adjustments in response to the direction of the movement. It may refer to an actual movement or the abstract idea of development under a specific motion or movement of matters and situation that a person [or people] are involved with. In relation to change and its relation to motion, philosophers Epicurus, Parmenides and Zeno, and that of Heraclitus all have something to say about how these elements in life could be understood clearly. In the discussion that follows, explaining the thoughts and opinions of the philosophers mentioned shall be given specific attention to. The existence of change in a social and physical context almost follows a similar pattern; whereas a matter tends to change position and appearance which is usually affected by the way the environment changes as well. How does motion occur in the environment and how it develops change among people; this shall be determined alongside the distinct indication on how each philosopher views the connective correlation between motion and change.

Parmenides argues that change is a determinable common system in the creation of the different elements found in the human society. Relatively, the existence of anything could be accounted for the existence of change. Unlike Heraclitus, he points out that everything exists based on a particular unique source. Everything is united because of the oneness of their source. In relation to this, he explains that everything seen in the world, and everything that is existing could be accounted for the existence of one common source. He specifically presents change differently from the arguments of Heraclitus. This one source, as defined by Parmenides, is something that cannot be changed. While there is something true about change being able to create new elements, it is evidently factual that nothing that has changed completely exists separately from the source. In some way, this thinking specifically supports the idea of evolution whereas [if each specie comes from another, then that specie should have a common ground with the other species from which it has developed from]. This opinion supports the idea of everything existing to have a common factor that binds them. There is considered to be a central characteristic that remains constant, a matter that identifies the general connection of everything with each other. The regress-pattern suggested by Parmenides specifically adheres to the concept of change happening through stages of adjustment that require time and span of development among the different matters created from the basic donors [or parents]. For instance, a single cell [as based from human development in the mother’s womb] develops into the brain of a fetus. Later on from such development comes the other body parts that the fetus needs for it to be qualified as an infant. Relatively though, it takes 9 months for such development to be considered completed. In such time-span several change-after-change patterns occur. Nevertheless, beyond all these patterns, the creation of a new human being takes on a basic process of taking from the same idealism suggested under the arguments of Heraclitus on hereditary distinction.

Epicurus on the other hand specifically utilizes the central source of development of everything and anything which is the atom. Being a physicist, Epicurus points out that the constant movement of atoms makes it possible for change to occur. In a way, he tries to identify the validity of change through the existence and continuous determination of motion. Atoms that are constantly in motion tend to bump into each other thus creating new patterns relatively creating new results of developed elements. In a way, this is supported by the idea of Parmenides which creates a connection between different elements through a single source. Although the philosophers view such source to be on different forms, the distinction on the procedure of change being specifically determined through the existence of a common resource of development tries to identify the existence of commonality among all.

Relatively, change is indeed constant. It cannot be stopped but it could be directed because of the fact that it is sourced from something. An elemental factor that makes change possible is motion. As everything moves, everything is of course bound to change. Most likely, the four philosophers presented in this particular discussion specifically identify well with change based on matters that they identify to be most important and most determinable on how change itself happens. Heraclitus specifically depends upon the concept of diversity as he sees the implication of uniqueness and how its implicative connecting bridge between creatures and elements specifically serve as the source of new creations.

While a river could be considered as a single element, Heraclitus points out that every turn and every curve of the said form of water body could be identified differently from the others; in a way, if you are sailing in a river, you are in constant motion, suggesting that you are in different places every minute that your voyage continues through the waters. Even still waters could be considered in motion. The inner core of these forms of body waters has existing pressures putting them in motion. This could also be likened to the paradox of Achilles and the tortoise as mentioned by Zeno. Considerably, a person [like Achilles] is noted to be much faster than a tortoise. However, in a footrace, the tortoise is allowed to have a head start [presumably at 100 meters ahead of Achilles]. In a way, this point of beginning will put the tortoise ahead of Achilles no matter how fast he runs because of the fact that whenever Achilles tries to run on areas where the tortoise has already gone through [no matter how slow it took the animal to get past those areas], Achilles is still in need of taking extra steps to follow through the path of the tortoise. In a way, when in a river, a person needs to pass through particular points of distinction that would account for him being in a new location. Nothing is the same, everything changes in relation to the motion that the river takes a person to. In a way, this dictates that it is the concept of motion that brings about the emergence of change. Specifically affected by time and the distinct situations that happen between the said elements, change occurs accordingly.

Relating to the concept of the swerve from Epicurus’ identification of atomic movement, he denotes that motion of atoms do not follow a single patter. Everything tends to change motion at some point; this is the reason why atoms collide every now and again and such collisions create new outcomes of different elements formed as part of the pattern of change. For instance, the earth moves every single minute; not all of them strongly felt on the ground. Nevertheless, these movements, no matter how small or huge they are in intensity, tend to create specific changes on the appearance of particular landforms and water forms of earth. The motion that occurs from within the earth specifically creates differentiating distinctions that affect human living through several years of development. In a way, Epicurus’ argument on motion and change could be identified in relation to this actual effect of atomic movements on the surface of the earth.

References

Heraclitus; Haxton (translator), Brooks; Hillman (Forward), James (2001). Fragments: The Collected Wisdom of Heraclitus. New York: Viking (The Penguin Group, Penguin Putnam, Inc.). Parallel Greek & English.

Hermann, Arnold (2005) The Illustrated To Think Like God: Pythagoras and Parmenides-The Origins of Philosophy, Parmenides Publishing.

Epicurus (1993). The essential Epicurus : letters, principal doctrines, Vatican sayings, and fragments. Eugene O’Connor, trans. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books.