4 phrases from Tales of Miletus about the universe to reflect on

Thales of Miletus (c.624 – c.545 BC) founded the Ionian school of ancient Greek thinkers. At that time he was known as one of the seven wise men, and even Aristotle himself considered him the founder of natural philosophy, because he was the first Greek to search for the ultimate substance of things, which for Thales of Miletus It was the water.

He lived in Athens and, as some texts say, he was educated by an Egyptian priest. As a man deeply involved in problems related to astronomy, He provided a series of explanations for cosmological events that were supernatural.

In the end, his philosophical approach that questioned everything related to celestial phenomena resulted in the beginning of greek astronomy.

Tales of Miletus: the natural philosopher

Thus, the hypotheses of Thales of Miletus were new and bold, to such an extent that, as stated in The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP), this philosopher could have been the first to study astronomythe first to predict solar eclipses and the first to establish the winter and summer solstices.

And so, without laboratories, without pipettes or any instruments, he was the first to ask the fundamental questions of humanity such as: Who are we? Where we come from? Where we go?

In this way, we enter the mind of this philosopher called “The Wise Astronomer”, who has left us great phrases to reflect, meditate and think about our place in this infinite space that is the cosmos, and our intimate relationship with it:

1. “Water is the nature of all things.”

Thales of Miletus said that we are water and from water we come, because that for him is nature itself, the source of all things, and the originating principle, the beginning of the universe. At that time he believed that the Earth was a flat disk floating on water, and that the beginning of all things was water (i.e. everything comes from water and eventually everything returns to water). And therefore he believed that everything in the universe was just a modification of water.

For him, water was a unique material substance.. As stated in a 2009 study on the nature of water called: The nature of water: Thales’ arkhe, sMany explanations can be given about the importance of water, including its role in living processes; and for Miletus Ocean and Thetys They were, in the tradition of Homer, the progenitors of the world.

Even humans are made up of 60 percent water.the brain is 70%, the blood is 80%, and the lungs are up to 90% water.

2. “The greatest thing is space because it encloses everything.”

For Thales, it may be that space is not infinite, but it contains everything it contains, according to the philosopher. Tried to explain the structure of the universe in a logical way and specify the order and how far the Earth was from other stars, such as the moon, the sun and the stars. To do this, he used the results of Babylonian science.

However, much of his thinking was equivocal. He gave an order to the universe inverse to what he really has, understanding that the Sun is further away than other stars.

3. “Isolate yourself in your inner world and reflect on the system of the universe.”

In line with the previous thought, Thales of Miletus also proposed the fact of look inside ourselves and reflect on who we are, or what we want to be, compared to something as vast and immeasurable as the universe. From the smallest to the most immense and inexplicable as the cosmos can be.

For if the size and age of the cosmos surpass all man’s normal understanding, then Where is our millimeter and tiny home relegated? What is our place in that point and space in the midst of immensity and eternity? Because next to that, our daily anxieties and concerns may seem absurd. And this is exactly what astronomer Carl Sagan was thinking about.

4. Thales of Miletus: “Nothing is older than God, because he was never created”

This phrase from Thales of Miletus is another of his reflections on the creation of the universe, on the origin of everything. Apparently, and as stated in the IEP, for Tales, all things are full of God.

“Judging from what is recorded of his views, he seems to suppose that the soul is in some sense the cause of motion, since he says that a stone has a soul because it makes iron move (From 405 to 20-22), and some think that the soul permeates the entire universewhence perhaps came Thales’ opinion that everything is full of gods“Aristotle commented about him.

You might be interested…