Thales of Miletus - The first Greek philosopher (624 BC-548 BC)

Thales of Miletus, one of the ancient Greek philosophers, astronomer, and renown mathematician, laid the groundwork for Western thinking.

One of the seven ancient sages was the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus. He was regarded by Aristotle as the first philosopher and his forebear in the field. As the first philosopher in the Western tradition, Thales is now usually regarded as such. Thales was a brilliant individual who altered the ancient world through his work in geometry, mathematics, astronomy, and, of course, philosophy. Although some of his ideas, such as the notion that everything is made of water, seem out of place in the twenty-first century, Thales was an ingenious figure.

While avoiding mythology, he established a number of hypotheses utilizing observation, reasoning, and scientific understanding. He searched for reasons behind the natural occurrences that had previously been ascribed to the 12 Olympian gods. However, he did not deny the idea of gods and thought they were everywhere. Thales was principally curious on the process of world creation. He believed that water, alone, is the source of all of nature. The majority of those who came after him were influenced by him, making him one of the most significant pre-Socratic thinkers. The question of whether Thales of Miletus ever produced a book was generally disputed by ancient sources. In any event, the work of succeeding philosophers and academics allowed for the preservation of his major ideas.