Before Philosophy (The History of Philosophy, part 1)

"We study history not to remember the past but to understand the present". That is the reason for this series. In this episode we discuss the intellectual seed-bed of the ancient world, especially that of Greece. We begin in Crete, whose Minoan civilization predated and heavily influenced the Grecian culture on the mainland. More specifically we talk about:Who "counts" as philosophersThe philosophy and thought of the Minoan civilizationThe meaning of monismMysticism in the ancient worldThe mystery religions and their connection with philosophyHow the earliest Greek thought influences our thinking today