Table of Contents
- 1 What do you think might happen if Thales failed to go against the mythological tradition of ancient Greece?
- 2 Why is Thales important?
- 3 What question is Thales trying to answer?
- 4 What did Thales do to be considered as the first philosopher describe the transition of Greek mythology to the ancient philosophy?
What do you think might happen if Thales failed to go against the mythological tradition of ancient Greece?
As no one would take the initiative and try to improve society, we could be still living in stone age. No one would care about the past and the future. Everyone would be concerned only with herself/himself in the present moment. There would be no structure to society, no democracy, no political system, no order.
Why is Thales important?
Thales was the first of the Greek natural philosophers and founder of the Ionian school of ancient Greek thinkers. His is said to have measured the Egyptian pyramids and to have calculated the distance from shore of ships at sea using his knowledge of geometry. He also predicted an eclipse of the sun.
How did Thales change the world for Greeks?
Among his many achievements, Thales is said to have `discovered’ Ursa Minor, studied electricity, developed geometry, contributed to the practical application of mathematics later developed by Euclid, developed a crude telescope, `discovered’ the seasons and set the solstice, created what would later be known as ` …
Would you believe Thales that reality is water?
Aristotle’s lines in Metaphysics indicate his understanding that Thales believed that, because water was the permanent entity, the earth floats on water. Thales may have reasoned that as a modification of water, earth must be the lighter substance, and floating islands do exist.
What question is Thales trying to answer?
The explicit form which Thales‟ question took was “What is the world made of?” He was dominated, that is, by the category of substance. His search was for a πρωτη υλη, and he found it in Water.
What did Thales do to be considered as the first philosopher describe the transition of Greek mythology to the ancient philosophy?
Thales is considered the first Greek philosopher because he was the first to give a purely natural explanation of the origin of the world, free from mythological ingredients. He held that everything had come out of water—an explanation based on the discovery of fossil sea animals far inland.
What did Thales say about reality?
When Thales defined reality, he chose an element, not a god. The motive force was not a supernatural being. It was a force within the universe itself. Thales never invoked a power that was not present in nature itself, because he believed that he had recognized a force which underpinned the events of nature.