Theophrastus transmitting Empedocles : the topic of kinship

Šćepanović, Sandra (author)

Theophrastus speaks of the kinship between living beings in connection with Empedocles in several of his works. In De Causis Plantarum 1.7.1, 1.13.2, and 1.21.5, he quotes and assesses Empedocles’ observations concerning plants and animals and their functional and structural similarities. In De Sensibus 12 and 23, he discusses and criticizes Empedocles’ explanation of perception and cognition, which does not differentiate between animate and inanimate beings. Finally, in the sec­tion of Porphyry’s De Abstinentia, which borrows from Theophrastus’ treatise De Pietate (2.11–21), both Empedocles and Theophrastus are mentioned as advocates of abstinence from animal sacrifices. The article discusses these and related passages and motivations behind Empedocles’ and Theophrastus’ observations of kinship. It argues that, whatever their motivations, the observed similarities between living beings may have served to support their ethical and religious views – Empedocles’ belief in reincarnation and Theophrastus’ advocacy of abstaining from animal sacrifices.

• Language: English
• Keywords: kinship, physiology, psychology, ethics, ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek philosophy
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 29.12.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 185-202
• Numbering: Letn. 7, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180605
• UDC: 821.124+821.14
• ISSN on article: 2670-6210
• DOI: 10.4312/clotho.7.2.185-202
• COBISS.SI-ID: 271269891
• Publication date in RUL: 12.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Clotho
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani, University of Ljubljana Press
• ISSN: 2670-6210
• COBISS.SI-ID: 300877824

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Teofrastovo posredovanje Empedokla : problem sorodnosti

Abstract

Teofrast v več svojih delih govori o sorodnosti med živimi bitji v povezavi z Empedoklom. V delu De causis plantarum 1.7.1, 1.13.2 in 1.21.5 citira oziroma ocenjuje Empedoklova opažanja o rastlinah in živalih ter njihovih funkcionalnih in strukturnih podobnostih. V De sensibus 12 in 23 obravnava in kritizira Empedoklovo razlago zazna­vanja in spoznavanja, ki ne razlikuje med živimi in neživimi bitji. Tudi v odlomku Porfirijevega dela De abstinentia, ki črpa iz Teofrastovega traktata De pietate (2.11–21), sta Empedokles in Teofrast omenjena kot nasprotnika žrtvovanja živali. Članek obravnava te in z njimi povezane odlomke ter motive za Empedoklovo in Teofrastovo opazovanje sorodnosti. Ugotavlja, da so zaznane podobnosti med živimi bitji, ne glede na motiv, morda služile kot podpora njunim pogledom na etiko in religijo – Empedoklovi veri v reinkarnacijo in Teofrastovemu nasprotovanju žrtvovanju živali.

• Keywords: sorodnost, fiziologija, psihologija, etika, starogrška književnost, starogrška filozofija