Thales was a philosopher of the Milesian school who lived in the first half of the 6th century BC. He is known as the founder of philosophy and the first figure of science. The Greeks have listed him among the seven sages. Bertrand Russell titled him as the initiator of philosophy in his book, The History of Philosophy. Thales’ art was to replace the word “who?” with “what?” in his questioning. Like previous thinkers or, more precisely, religious thinkers of the past, Thales did not ask whether the world was created by “who?” or through whom, but rather put the question in a completely new form.
He asked: “What is the world made of?” That is, Thales abandoned the mythological interpretation of the origin of the world and sought to describe nature through rational thought and to explain the creation of the world.
Some contemporary historians of philosophy consider the introduction of Thales as the first philosopher not as a result of independent historical analysis and the prevailing opinion of the ancient Greeks, but as a result of changes in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe to introduce the roots of philosophy with motivations to exclude the East from the history of philosophy and a racist approach.
Thales of Miletus was born around 624 BC in the city of Miletus in Ionia (present-day western Turkey). Some historians believed Thales to be a Phoenician who migrated with his parents, Exodus and Cleobuline, from Phoenicia to Miletus. He spent most of his life traveling. It is famous that Thales died at the age of 80 or 90 while he was a spectator at a sports competition due to heat, thirst, and weakness.
Thales was one of the pioneering philosophers of ancient Greece. He is known as the father of philosophy in Greece, and also as the father of science because he was the first person to scientifically investigate and explain the changes and behaviors of nature. Thales believed that water was the primary and fundamental element of all existence.
He believed that all bodies were created from water, and that water could also take on various forms and act as the primary agent of change in nature. This perspective was very important and influential as one of the earliest philosophical perspectives on the nature of existence.
It is well known that Thales predicted the occurrence of a solar eclipse on May 28, 585 BC. Among other astronomical activities attributed to Thales, he is credited with creating an astronomical calendar and adopting the Phoenicians’ experience in determining shipping routes using a small bear.
In mathematics, the theorem of Thales is attributed to him, and a historian named Proclus reported that Thales was able to determine the distance of ships from the shore by discovering this theorem. Another historian named Diogenes Laertius writes: “Thales actually measured the height of the pyramids in Egypt using their shadows, and this was done by observing the time when our shadow is equal to our height.” This theorem is still used today to measure the height of a tree.
Thales’ political life was mostly related to the Ionians’ involvement in defending Anatolia against the increasing power of the Iranians, who had recently entered the region. Thus, the contemporaries of Thales in Iran were the kings of Media and Cyrus.
Thales had philosophical views on various other issues as well. For example, he believed that the earth is a flat surface composed of water, not air, and this view was very important for explaining some natural phenomena such as earthquakes. He concluded that everything in nature has a soul and mind, and these soul and mind are capable of creating movement and change in the world.
Thales’ views on philosophy were very important and influential, and many later philosophers, including Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Heraclitus, were inspired by his views. Thales was mostly committed to the idea of water as the source of existence, but he seemed to believe that other factors were also important in explaining natural phenomena. For example, he believed that air could also play a role in movement and change in nature. He also believed that celestial bodies could have been created from water or other materials.
Thales had arrived at other philosophical views on the nature of existence, but it seemed that water as the primary source of existence was much more important than other factors in explaining significant natural phenomena.
It is true that Thales, due to living in the pre-Socratic era and the lack of surviving writings from him, did not directly reference the views of other philosophers. However, some of his writings, particularly on the nature of existence, indicate that he was familiar with the views of other philosophers and even disagreed with them in some cases.
Thales opposed Pythagoras’ views on the nature of existence. Pythagoras was another ancient Greek philosopher known as the founder of the Pythagorean school and believed that fundamental numbers are the basis of all existence. However, instead of numbers, Thales conceived water as the primary source of existence. Regarding the views of other philosophers such as Heraclitus and Anaximenes, Thales had his own opinions and seemed to believe that they were mistaken. In any case, it can be said that Thales was a philosopher who analyzed and interpreted natural phenomena and used several philosophical perspectives to explain them.
Thales is known as the father of Greek philosophy and, as the first person to scientifically pursue the explanation of natural changes and behaviors, is also known as the father of science. As a pioneering ancient Greek philosopher, he analyzed and interpreted natural phenomena and used several philosophical perspectives to explain them. Thales believed that water is the primary and fundamental element of all existence. He believed that all bodies are made of water, even celestial bodies are the same. As one of the first natural philosophers, he believed that water is the basis of all living beings and without water, no living being can exist. It can be said that Thales, as one of the pioneers of natural philosophy, was committed to his view on the nature of water and supported his explanations with philosophical and scientific arguments.
Thales also had beliefs about the nature of the world and existence beyond water. He was generally seeking a primary principle or element to explain natural phenomena. In this regard, he referred to two other principles: air and fire.
Thales believed that air and fire can also be used as primary principles to explain natural phenomena. He believed that air is an element that is constantly changing and moving among natural entities and can be used as a principle to explain movement and change in the world. However, compared to water, Thales generally believed that water is the primary and most important principle of the world.
Thales analyzed and interpreted natural phenomena and used several philosophical perspectives to explain them. Due to his deep analysis and interpretation of natural phenomena, he arrived at various views on the nature of the world. Thales had beliefs about the nature of the earth and the world. He believed that the earth is a living body that is constantly changing and evolving. As one of the first natural philosophers, he analyzed and interpreted natural phenomena and used several philosophical perspectives to explain them.
Thales believed that the earth is in motion and constantly evolving. He believed that the earth is a living body that is constantly growing and evolving. It can be said that Thales arrived at various views on the nature of the earth due to his analysis and interpretation of natural phenomena. He was generally seeking a primary principle or element to explain natural phenomena and used various philosophical and scientific perspectives to achieve this goal.
Thales also had beliefs about the nature of fire and the world.
Thales believed that fire can also be used as a primary principle to explain natural phenomena. He believed that fire is an element that is constantly changing and evolving and can be used as a principle to explain movement and change in the world. However, compared to water, Thales generally believed that water is the primary and more important principle of the world. He believed that water is an element that is constantly flowing and can be used as a principle to explain movement and change in the world.
Due to his analysis and interpretation of natural phenomena, Thales arrived at various views on the nature of fire and other natural elements.
Thales had opinions about the society of his time and referred to social and political issues in his works. He lived in the society of his time and was directly confronted with social and political issues.
Thales believed that the formation of human societies is the result of human beings’ efforts to meet their needs. Based on his analysis, he believed that to achieve happiness and peace in society, attention must be paid to human needs and efforts should be made to easily meet these needs.
Thales also believed that societies should be based on justice and equality, and all forms of discrimination and class differences should be eliminated. He was looking for a suitable social and political system that should be adhered to, to meet human needs and improve the social and political situation of the community. Thales, based on his analysis and interpretation, was looking for a suitable social and political system to improve the situation of the community and for this purpose, he examined social and political issues. He also referred to economic issues in his works. Thales generally examined economic and trade concepts and presented his opinions on economics and trade based on what he observed in the societies of his time.
One of the economic concepts that Thales examined was the concept of exchange. He believed that exchange is one of the most important factors in economic development and leads to production and trade growth. Thales examined trade relations between different peoples and believed that trade, as it places people in pursuit of meeting their needs, can help improve the economic situation of communities. Thales examined theories related to pricing and how prices are determined in the market. He believed that prices are determined based on supply and demand, and price determination in the market is the result of the interaction between supply and demand.
It can be said that Thales also addressed economic issues in his works and presented his opinions in this regard.
Thales did not directly refer to the distribution of income in society, but his analysis of his works can lead to his views on income distribution. He believed that to establish social justice, class differences should be minimized, and equality among people should be ensured in society. He focused on fighting class differences and promoting justice and equality in society.
Based on his views on social justice and equality, it can be assumed that he was opposed to disproportionate income distribution. However, it should be noted that Thales was more active in analyzing natural phenomena and philosophy of nature, and as a natural philosopher, he gave less importance to social and economic issues. Therefore, his views on income distribution were not directly addressed in his works.
Thales examined the sun and its role in nature and human life. He believed that the sun, as one of the most important natural factors, has a significant impact on the lives of humans and other living beings. Thales examined issues such as the effect of the sun on plant growth, weather, seasons, and other natural events. He believed that the sun, as the primary source of light and heat, is essential for the growth of plants and animals and as one of the fundamental influential factors in maintaining natural balance. In addition, Thales also examined the role of the sun in human life. He believed that the sun, as the primary source of light and heat, helps maintain human health and has a significant impact on human growth and development. Therefore, Thales had opinions about the sun and its role in nature and human life and examined these issues in his works.
Thales also examined other natural factors and their role in life and nature. He believed that all natural factors work together in harmony and that order and balance in nature are maintained due to the coordination among these factors.
Thales also examined issues such as wind, water, weather, rocks, and soil. He believed that all these factors have a virtually direct flow in nature, and the natural system and balance are based on the coordination among these factors.
Thales examined the effects of these factors on natural events, plant and animal growth, and their impact on humans. He believed that each of these factors plays a fundamental role in natural events and the growth of plants and animals, and has significant effects on humans. Thales also examined other natural factors and presented his views on their role in nature and human life.
Thales examined the role of the sun and planets in nature. He believed that the sun and planets, as part of the solar system, play a crucial role in the movement and changes in nature. Thales also examined the planets and their movement in space and believed that the movement of planets in space is one of the essential factors that play a role in natural phenomena such as seasons and other natural events. Thales examined the role of the sun in nature and human life and believed that the sun, as the primary source of light and heat, helps maintain human health and has a significant impact on human growth and development.
Thales examined the role of the sun and planets in nature and presented his views on their role in the movement and changes in nature and human life. He examined the impact of planetary movement on seasons and believed that the movement of planets in space is one of the essential factors that play a role in natural phenomena such as seasons and other natural events. Thales concluded that changes in seasons and other natural phenomena occur based on the movement of planets relative to the sun. He provided numerous examples of these effects, such as the seasonal changes that occur in winter and summer due to the proximity and distance of the earth to the sun.
Thales believed that seasonal changes and other natural phenomena occur based on the harmony among the sun, planets, and other natural factors and should be fully understood to make the best use of nature. He examined the impact of planetary movement on weather events, such as rainfall patterns and other weather phenomena, and believed that planetary movement and other natural factors work together virtually in harmony, and the natural order and balance are based on the coordination among these factors.
Thales believed that the tension of rainfall and other weather phenomena occur based on the interaction between the sun, planets, and other natural factors, and must be fully understood to make the best use of nature. He believed that nature, as a whole, is a unified system under the influence of the sun, planets, and other natural factors, and to better understand weather behaviors, attention should be paid to the impact of these factors.
Thales examined the impact of planetary movement on weather events such as rainfall patterns and presented his views on their role in the changes in nature and human life.