HYELE Institute for Comparative Studies
Purpose
The purpose of the HYELE Institute for Comparative Studies is to support and encourage Philosophical research into Science, Art, Culture, Theology, Law, Business, Politics, Human Behavior, and Education.
History
Hyele is an older variation on Elea, an ancient city in Southern Italy established by Greek settlers around 535 BC. Known as Velia in Roman times, today the city belongs to the commune of Ascea, Campania, about 25 miles south of Paestum. Elea's claim to fame is its association with the so-called Eleatic School of philosophy, whose foremost representative is Parmenides of Elea (b. approx. 515 BC).
One of the most influential thinkers in early philosophy, Parmenides can be both challenging and rewarding. His teachings are preserved in a hexameter poem of uncertain length; the only fragments that have survived are those that are cited in the works of others. Considered by many the first metaphysical work, the main part of the poem, conventionally known as "Aletheia," or "Truth," tackles the difficult subject of "Being" and "Not-Being." Under the heading of "Doxa," or the "Opinion of Mortals," the remainder of the work offers cosmological and biological observations. The question of how these two parts stand in relation to each other has remained controversial. Plato expresses great awe and respect for Parmenides, even seeing in the old Eleatic thinker something of a philosophical father figure. As attested by Albert Einstein and Karl Popper, Parmenides' thoughts, and the difficulties they uncover, continue to fascinate even modern thinkers.