How did ancient Greek philosophers view chaos?

In Greek philosophy, Chaos (Χάος) was seen as the primordial void or gap from which all else emerged. Hesiod's Theogony presents it as the first thing to exist—not formless matter but a yawning chasm. Pre-Socratic philosophers like Anaximander proposed the 'apeiron' (boundless) as the infinite source of all things.

What is the Buddhist concept of emptiness (śūnyatā)?

Buddhist śūnyatā (emptiness) differs from Western notions of nothingness. It describes reality as empty of inherent, independent existence but full of dependent origination—pregnant with potential and interconnection. It's a creative emptiness, not mere absence.

What is Nietzsche's concept of chaos?

Nietzsche transformed chaos from a cosmological principle to a psychological reality. He wrote, 'One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.' For him, inner chaos becomes the necessary condition for authentic self-creation and creative transformation.

תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ

Philosophy Posts

Philosophical perspectives on chaos, void, and creation

January 1, 2026·2 min

The Void in Eastern Thought

Exploring concepts of emptiness and formlessness in Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and their parallels to tohu wa-bohu.

BuddhismTaoismemptiness