A lot of people wonder where and when what we call Science actually began.

If we consider Science in the modern sense, it might be sufficient to start with Galileo and Kepler in the early 17th century. However, if we consider Science as the effort to logically understand the behavior of natural phenomena without being directly concerned with experimentation, then we must begin in Antiquity. This is the period roughly spanning from 600 BC to 400 BC, when philosophers with a variety of ideas known as the Pre-Socratics lived in Ancient Greece.

The challenge of Science is the same as that of Logic: both seek to resolve problems, knowing in advance how to shape them according to the experience of thought. Furthermore, questions expressed scientifically must find their answers within the subject being investigated, and not in myths or mythical narratives.

Thus, although they were not scientists, nor did they even appear in the History of Science as their precursors, the Pre-Socratics deserve a prominent place in the scientific universe. After all, they bequeathed the type of thought that Science has since had no choice but to exploit.

In this work, written in a clear and engaging manner by Professor Auterives Maciel Júnior, you will be introduced to some of the Pre-Socratic ideas, primarily those with a predominant "scientific" content. Additionally, after reading them, the reason why these philosophers are included among the "Immortals of Science" will become evident.