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Questions tagged [thales]

Thales of Miletus (c. 624 - c.546 BC) was a Presocratic Greek philosopher who used theories rather than mythologies to explain natural phenomena.

For information about Thales see the following:

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Did Thales really argue this?

Neil deGrasse Tyson in “Deeper, Deeper, Deeper Still” (Cosmos) says something to the following effect. The ancient Greek philosopher Thales argued that natural events such as weather patterns weren't the result of capricious gods intending to…
goblin GONE
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Why didn't Thales say the water is principle of matter, but the originating principle, according to Russell?

If I remember Russells Short History of Western Philosophy correctly, Russell unequivocally maintains that Thales was the first philosopher of note. He said: The world is made of water Russell does not explain in any detail as to why he held this…
Mozibur Ullah
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Contextual meaning of a philosophical text

I want to confirm a sentence, which I have rendered bold below, related to Aristotle's view regarding Thales philosophy in a philosophical article. In Book I of the Metaphysics, Aristotle claims that the earliest of these, among whom he places…
Mushrraf Baig Ashraf
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Confusion about Anaximander statement

I am a self taught Philosophy student, without any formal training in Philosophy. So, please bear with me if my question seems to be pretty basic or meaningless. In the book Looking at Philosophy by Donald Palmer, Thales argued that the basic…
Brainy
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What is the philosophical originary thought for the empirical category of the wave?

Atoms, as is well known, were originated by Democritus to fend off Parmenides' challenge of an unchangeable, eternal one. The other large category of thought in modern physics is that of the wave. Where did this originate? Should we hazard Thales,…
Mozibur Ullah
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Did Thales believe in Hylozoism?

Aristotle states that Thales believed that "the soul is mixed in with the whole universe" and that "all things are full of gods," which seem to imply a belief in Hylozoism. However, later in the same passage, Aristotle describes Thales' argument…
Tommy Greim
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Thales's views on marriage and sexuality

What were Thales's views on marriage and sexuality? Allegedly, when someone asked him why he didn't have children, he replied "Because I am fond of children."
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Why are theories of Greek philosophers so ineffectual?

The philosophy of science is to explain many natural phenomena with simple and least number of axioms(=hypothesis). As Albert Einstein writes in his book, The Evolution of Physics at page number 56: In the whole history of science from Greek…
user44243
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Academic consensus on Thales being hylozoist or panpsychist (or alternatives)

For researchers on history of philosophy, taking into account, for example, the typical beliefs in societies predating Thales', which interpretation, if any, is more generally accepted in academia of Everything is full of gods A panpsychist or…
user64708
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Is Thales's claim that everything starts with water/wetness, in ontological meaning, in agreement with his claim that: "Everything is full of gods"?

Thales claimed water as his arche, but Aristotle says that he also said that "Everything is full of gods". Are those two claims in agreement?
Nikola Perović
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List of phenomena which can be explained by law of Thales that the earth floats on water

According to Aristotle, Thales thought that the earth rests on water: This [opinion that the earth rests on water] is the most ancient explanation which has come down to us, and is attributed to Thales of Miletus (Cael. 294 a28-30). By using…
user46009