Thales
['θeili:z]
Definition
(noun.) 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).
Typist: Wilhelmina--From WordNet
Examples
- We see again here, as in the case of Thales, th at the love of abstract thought, the pursuit of science as science, did not interfere with ultimate practical applications. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- The philosophical mind of Thales laid hold, no doubt, of some of the essentials of astronomical science. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- For the rest we touched upon all the historic names from Thales to Nietzsche. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- Thales (640-546 B.., who is usually regar ded as the first of the Greek philosophers, was the founder of Greek geometry and astronomy. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- In fact, some writers maintain that Thales wa s not a philosopher at all, but rather an astronomer and engineer. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- For example, Thales saw that the angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are equal, and that when two straight lines cut one another the vertically opposite angles are equal. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- In the presence of the Egyptian priests, to which class he was solely indebted for instruction, Thales demonstrated a method of measuring the height of a pyramid by reference to its shadow. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- Pythagoras, on the advice of Thales, visited Egypt in the pursuit of mathematics. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
Inputed by Andre