Thales Of Miletus Research Paper

Famous philosopher Thales once said, “The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”, meaning it takes a while to fully understand one’s self and the strengths or weaknesses within (“Thales”). Thales is an ancient Greek philosopher born in the city of Miletus (“Thales of Miletus” Science). Although, he was a Milesian, his parents, Examyes and Cleobuline, were Phoenicians themselves (“Thales of Miletus” Science). Very little was known about Thales, such as his exact birth and death dates, due to the lack of written records about him; It is estimated that he was born in 600 B.C.E and died around 547 B.C.E. (White). This calculation came from other pieces of written work, primarily “Lives and Opinion of Eminent Philosophers” by Diogenes Laertius, who wrote about the lives of ancient Greek philosophers (“Thales of Miletus” Philosophers). According to Diogenes Laertius, Thales died at the age of seventy-eight in the 58th Olympiad, which occurred between 548 and 545 B.C.E. (“Tales of Miletus” Philosophers). Thales was an important person in ancient history for he made contributions in philosophy, mathematics, science and mythology. Thales made many achievements in science for his time. Thales’ fame stems from the prediction of a solar …show more content…
He is the first to use rational reasons to explain the how’s and why’s of life (“Thales of Miletus” Science). Thales made a large impact of Philosophy because people used to use religion-based superstitions to explain everything (“Thales of Miletus” Science). The Greek gods and goddesses were the basis of all aspects of ancient Greek life, civilians always went to them for counseling and guidance with decision-making in life. Because of a dismissal of explaining everything though mythology, Thales broke tradition and is sometimes referred to the first philosopher, or at least one of the founding founders