«SOURCES AND EXTREMITIES» IN HESIOD'S THEOGONY AS A PREREQUISITE FOR CRITICISM OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS IDEAS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF HERACLITUS AND XENOPHANES: HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS

Bogomolov A. V.

The article focuses on the presence in the «Theogony» of references to «sources and extremities», which differ from the mythological images of the gods. The article substantiates the position that «sources and extremities», which «even the gods are afraid of», are prerequisites for the formation of a non-mythological understanding of the explanation of the origin. Such changes are possible with the gradual abandonment of mythological representations. Critics of traditional religious beliefs in early Greek philosophy were, in particular, Heraclitus and Xenophanes. The article shows the relationship of this aspect of «Theogony» with the teachings of Heraclitus and Xenophanes in the context of the transition from myth to logos.

Keywords:Hesiod, Heraclitus, Xenophanes, arche, negative theology, philosophical apophaticism.