Empedocles (c. 490 – 430 BCE
Empedocles (c. 490–430 BCE) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, poet, physician, and political figure from the city of Acragas in Sicily. Empedocles is notable for his proposal that all matter consists of four indestructible “elements”: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Objects in the natural world arise and disappear when these elements combine and separate under the influence of two opposing cosmic forces, Love and Strife. The elements themselves are uncreated and indestructible, which anticipates the modern understanding that matter is neither created nor destroyed, only changed in form. [Cf. E = Mc2: if c = light-seconds / second = 1, then E = M].
Empedocles thought is preserved in two fragmentary poems, On Nature and Purifications. On Nature famously describes the creation of Order from Chaos. In Chaos, Nature consists of unattached body parts, arms, legs, hands, feet, eyes, ears, and noses, etc. As these encounter each other, most combinations are non-working, but some are viable, and the viable combinations aggregate to form more and more complete and functional beings. Some modern authors compare this to Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, where "fitter" beings survive and reproduce more than those less fit. Ancient traditions credited him with miraculous deeds, most famously that he leapt into the volcanic caldera of Mount Etna to prove his divinity, without success [see above]. Empedocles' synthesis of elemental physics, cosmic struggle, biological speculation, and mystical religion strongly influenced Plato, Aristotle, and later Western tradition.