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''Arche'' () is a Greek word with primary senses "beginning", "origin" or "source of action". (εξ’ ἀρχής : from the beginning, οr εξ’ ἀρχής λόγος: the original argument), and later first principle or element, first so used by Anaximander (Simplicius in Ph. 150.23), principles of knowledge (ἀρχαί) (Aristot. Metaph. 995b8). By extension it may mean "first place, power", "method of government", "empire, realm", "authorities" (in plural:ἀρχαί), "command".〔(and Scott Lexicon http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aalphabetic+letter%3D *a%3Aentry+group%3D318%3Aentry%3Da%29rxh%2F ἀρχή )〕 The first principle or element corresponds to the "ultimate underlying substance" and "ultimate undemonstrable principle".〔Peters Lexicon:1967:23〕 In the philosophical language of the archaic period (8th-6th century BC) ''arche'' (or ''archai'') designates the source, origin or root of things that exist. In ancient Greek Philosophy, Aristotle foregrounded the meaning of ''arche'' as the element or principle of a thing, which although undemonstrable and intangible in itself, provides the conditions of the possibility of that thing.〔 pp. 142–144〕 ==Mythical cosmogonies== In the mythical Greek cosmogony of Hesiod (8th-7th century BC) the origin of the world is Chaos, considered as a divine primordial condition, from which everything else appeared. In the creation "chaos" is a gaping-void, but later the word is used to describe the space between the earth and the sky, after their separation. "Chaos" may mean infinite space, or a formless matter which can be differentiated.〔This is described as a large windy-gap, almost unlimited (abyss) where are the roots and the ends of the earth, sky, sea and Tartarus: (online ''The Theogony of Hesiod'' ). Translation H.G.Evelyn White(1914): 116, 736-744〕 The notion of temporal infinity was familiar to the Greek mind from remote antiquity in the religious conception of immortality .〔 p 83〕 The conception of the "divine" as an origin, influenced the first Greek philosophers.〔The phrase: "Divine is that which had no beginning, neither end" is attributed to Thales〕 In the Orphic cosmogony the unaging Chronos produced Aether and Chaos and made in divine Aether a silvery egg, from which everything else appeared.〔 p.24〕 In the mythological "cosmogonies" of Near East, the universe is formless and empty and the only existing thing prior to creation was the water abyss. In the Babylonian creation story Enuma Elish the primordial world is described as a "watery chaos" from which everything else appeared. Something similar is described in Book of Genesis where the spirit of the God is moving upon the dark face of the waters.〔 p 58, 59〕 In the Hindu cosmology, which is similar to the Vedic cosmology, in the beginning there was nothing in the Universe but darkness. The self-manifested being created the primordial waters and established his seed into it. This turned into a golden egg (Hiranyagarbha) from which everything else appeared.〔Matsya Purana (2.25-30)(online ); The creation〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Arche」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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