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.
Browse Thales of Miletus by topic
Thales of Miletus on God
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“All things are full of gods.”
παντα πληρη θεων ειναι -
“Nothing is more ancient than God , for He was never created ; nothing more beautiful than the world , it is the work of that same God; nothing is more active than thought , for it flies over the whole universe ; nothing is stronger than necessity , for all must submit to it.”
As quoted in Love and Live Or Kill and Die: Realities of the Destruction of Human Life (2009) by James H. Wilson, p. 72 Variants: Strongest is Necessity because it governs all things. As quoted in Symbolism of the Sphere: A Contribution to
Thales of Miletus on Happiness
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“Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else still possess hope.”
A Dictionary of Thoughts (1908) by Tryon Edwards , p. 234
Thales of Miletus on Knowledge
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Attributed to Thales of Miletus:
“Know thyself.”
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“The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”
Γνῶθι σαυτόν -
“παντα πληρη θεων ειναι”
Panta plêrê theôn einai. | All things are full of gods. | As quoted in Aristotle , De Anima , 411a -
“Panta plêrê theôn einai.”
παντα πληρη θεων ειναι -
“Water is the first principle of everything.”
As quoted in Aristotle , Metaphysics , 983b -
“Σοφώτατον χρόνος· ἀνευρίσκει γὰρ πάντα.”
Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light. | As quoted in Diogenes Laërtius , The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers , I, 35 -
“Οὔ τι τὰ πολλὰ ἔπη φρονίμην ἀπεφήνατο δόξαν”
A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind. | As quoted in Diogenes Laërtius , The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers , I, 35; as translated in Dictionary of Quotations (Classical) edited by Thomas Benfield Harbottle, p. 455 | Also translated as: "Many words do not declare an understanding heart.
Thales of Miletus on Mind
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“A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind.”
Οὔ τι τὰ πολλὰ ἔπη φρονίμην ἀπεφήνατο δόξαν -
“Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than necessity for all must submit to it.”
As quoted in Business Management Controls: A Guide (2012) by John Kyriazoglou, p. 55
Thales of Miletus on Nature
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“Water is the first principle of all things.”
As quoted in Aristotle , Metaphysics , 983b
Thales of Miletus on Time
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“Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light.”
Σοφώτατον χρόνος· ἀνευρίσκει γὰρ πάντα.