Thinker · TH-0399
Thales
Thales of Miletus is traditionally counted as the first Greek philosopher. He left no writings that survive, and what is known of him comes…
Θαλῆς ὁ Μιλήσιος
Also known as Thales of Miletus
c. 624 – 546 BCE · Miletus (Ionia, western Asia Minor)
Traditions: Greek & Roman
Schools: Pre-Socratics
Thales of Miletus is traditionally counted as the first Greek philosopher. He left no writings that survive, and what is known of him comes from later reports, above all Aristotle's statement that he held water to be the origin of all things. Ancient sources also credit him with predicting a solar eclipse and with work in geometry and astronomy, though such stories are hard to verify. His importance lies in seeking a single natural principle behind the variety of the world.
Key ideas
- Water is the origin or underlying principle (archē) of all things, according to Aristotle's report.
- The earth rests on water.
- Nature can be explained by natural principles rather than by myth alone.
- All things are full of gods, a saying Aristotle attributes to him.
Major works
- No writings survive; reports in Aristotle, Metaphysics, Book I (record of his views)
- Herodotus, Histories, Book I (record of the eclipse prediction)
- Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book I (biographical record)