Essay --

Thales of Miletus (modern day Turkey) was said to be the very first Greek philosopher, scientist and mathematician. Although little is known about Thales, it is recorded that he lived between 624 BC – 546 BC. Thales was the founder of the Milesian school and also known as one of the Seven Wise Men (Stokes). Most of his accomplishments are speculated upon since none of his writings survived, and all sources seem to be non-existent. All that is known about his thoughts came from Aristotle, the four statements are as follows: (1) The world originated from water; (2) The world floats on water; (3) The world has many gods; (4) Soul produces motion (Burnet). Aristotle was very hesitant in writing these claims, stating that even by his time Thales was known only by word of mouth and not through hard evidence. Thales was said to be a devoted traveler and it is mainly through the writings of Aristotle why Thales is considered the â€Å"father of science† and the first pre- Socratic Greek philosopher. Aside from the writings of Thales, he was also an astronomer and mathematician. According to the Greek writer Xenophanes, it is believed that Thales was the first to predict a solar eclipse in 585 BC. This prediction startled Ionia and ended up stopping the battle between Lydian Alyattes and the Median Cyaxares. It is said that Thales used Babylonian astronomy in his prediction of the solar eclipse. Thales also wrote a manual for sailors and achieved a fortune by using his theories in astronomy to predict when olive crops would grow and then buying the land. This was mainly accomplished so that Thales could prove it was possible to make money as a philosopher (Burnet). As a mathematician, Thales is famous for his knowledge in geometry a... ...phy. Peitho's Web, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. . Burnet, John. Greek Philosophy: Thales to Plato. London: Burnet, 2008. Print. Livingstone, Richard W., Sir, and Gilbert, Murray. "The Legacy of Greece." The Legacy of Greece : Internet Archive. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 21 Dec. 2007. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. . Lytton, Bulwe E. The Lost Tales of Miletus. Charleston: BiblioBazaar, 2009. Print. O'Grady, Patricia F. Thales of Miletus: The Beginnings of Western Science and Philosophy. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate, 2002. Print. Stokes, Phillips. Philosophy: 100 Essential Thinkers: The Ideas That Have Shaped Our World. London: Arcturus, 2012. Print. "Thales." 2014. The Famous People website. Feb 12 2014. .