Definition

Proper noun 1. Ancient Greek philosopher and astronomer: Thales of Miletus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, traditionally regarded as one of the Seven Sages of Greece. He is considered a foundational figure in Western philosophy and science.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Thales is often called the first philosopher in the Greek tradition.
  • The eclipse of 585 BC was famously predicted by Thales.
  • According to Aristotle, Thales posited that water is the fundamental substance of all things.

Advanced Usage

• The Thales Theorem: In geometry, a theorem stating that if A, B, and C are points on a circle where the line AC is a diameter, then the angle ∠ABC is a right angle. This is attributed to him.
  • The proof relies on the principles of the Thales theorem.

Variants and Related Words

• Thalesian (adj): Pertaining to Thales or his philosophical ideas.
  • The Thalesian view of the cosmos centered on a single material principle.
• Pre-Socratic (adj/n): Referring to the Greek philosophers who lived before Socrates, including Thales, Heraclitus, and Parmenides.
  • Thales is a central figure in pre-Socratic philosophy.

Synonyms

• The Milesian: Referring to his origin from the city of Miletus.
  • The Milesian, Thales, initiated a new way of inquiry about nature.

Related Concepts and Phrases

• The arche of Thales: The fundamental principle or first cause, which Thales identified as water.
  • For Thales, the arche of all things was water.
• Founder of natural philosophy: A common epithet describing his role in shifting explanations from mythology to natural causes.
  • Historians of science credit Thales as the founder of natural philosophy.

Noun

1. a presocratic Greek philosopher and astronomer (who predicted an eclipse in 585 BC) who was said by Aristotle to be the founder of physical science; he held that all things originated in water (624-546 BC)