Thales of Miletus Quotes
Thales of Miletus was an ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosopher of the 7th and 6th centuries BC, traditionally regarded as the first philosopher of the Western tradition and a founder of Greek natural philosophy and mathematics. He held that water is the fundamental substance from which all things arise, the first recorded attempt in the West to explain the world by appeal to a single natural principle rather than to mythology. The quotes below are attributed to Thales of Miletus, organized by topic.
Thales of Miletus on God
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Attributed to Thales of Miletus:
“All things are full of gods.”
Thales of Miletus on Happiness
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Attributed to Thales of Miletus:
“Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else still possess hope.”
Thales of Miletus on Knowledge
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Attributed to Thales of Miletus:
“Know thyself.”
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Attributed to Thales of Miletus:
“The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”
Thales of Miletus on Nature
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Attributed to Thales of Miletus:
“Water is the first principle of all things.”