Thales of Miletus | |
|---|---|
 Posthumous portrait of Thales by Wilhelm Meyer, based on a bust from the 4th century | |
| Born | c. 626/623 BC |
| Died | c. 548/545 BC (aged c. 78) |
| Era | Pre-Socratic philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Ionian / Milesian |
Main interests | |
Notable ideas | |
Thales of Miletus (/ˈθeɪliːz/ THAY-leez; ‹See Tfd›Greek: Θαλῆς; c. 626/623 – c. 548/545 BC) was an Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages, founding figures of Ancient Greece.
Many regard him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition, breaking from the prior use of mythology to explain the world and instead using natural philosophy. He is thus otherwise referred to as the first to have engaged in mathematics, science, and deductive reasoning.[1]
The first philosophers followed him in explaining all of nature as based on the existence of a single ultimate substance. Thales theorized that this single substance was water. Thales thought the Earth floated on water.
In mathematics, Thales is the namesake of Thales's theorem, and the intercept theorem can also be known as Thales's theorem. Thales was said to have calculated the heights of the pyramids and the distance of ships from the shore. In science, Thales was an astronomer who reportedly predicted the weather and a solar eclipse. The discovery of the position of the constellation Ursa Major is also attributed to Thales, as well as the timings of the solstices and equinoxes. He was also an engineer, known for having diverted the Halys River.[1]
- ^ a b Russell, Bertrand (1945). A History of Western Philosophy. Simon & Schuster.