(page 120) - Chapter VI
The Athenian Philosophers

Page 120

great authority. Right here I must say that I am convinced that Aristotle represents a culture gap of 5000 years or more between his innovation and the Greek level of civilization; because it is impossible to escape the conviction that he obtained his education and books from a nation outside of Greece, the Egyptians who were far in advance of the culture of Greeks of his day.

(Memphite Theology in Kingship & The Gods by Frankfort c. 3. p. 25, 26, 35).

(Herodotus I, 6-26) (Egyptian Religion by Frankfort p. 64, 73, 88).

(Plato's Phaedo c. 15, 16, 49) (Zeller's History of Philosophy p. 61).

(Aristotle's Eth., Nic. 10, 8; 1178b, 20) (Op. cit. 10: 8, 9; 1179).

(Zeller's History of Philosophy p. 221) (Roger's History of Philosophy p. 109).

(William Turner's History of Philosophy p. 141-143).

(B. D. Alexander's History of Philosophy, p. 102, 103).

(B D. Alexander's History of Philosophy p. 92, 93; Roger's Student History of Philosophy p. 104).

(William Turner's History of Philosophy p. 126-127, 135).

(Zeller's History of Philosophy p. 171-173) (Plutarch's Alexander) (Aristotle's Metaphysics) (William Turner's History of Philosophy, p. 128 footnote also Noct. Mt. 20: 5).

(Strabo).

3. The doctrine of the origin of the world.

According to the doctrine that has been ascribed to Aristotle: "because matter, motion and time are eternal, therefore the world is also eternal", he plainly accepts and repeats a doctrine which has also been ascribed to Democritus (400 B.C.), whose dictum we are all quite familiar with: ex nihillo nihil fit (nothing comes out of nothing), and consequently matter or the world must always have existed.

But the antiquity of the doctrine of the eternal nature of

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