What Makes Thales Method Of Knowing Distinctly Philosophical As Opposed To Mythology And Religion

Improved Essays
(1) Discuss what makes Thales’ method of knowing distinctly philosophical (as opposed to mythology and religion).

Thales method of knowing, thinking and comprehending was very much scientific, groundbreaking yet also very naturalistic at the same time. Thales method can be summed up simply by saying it is one of making observations and then justifying these observations through reason. Thales was never afraid to look for answers to questions in a very untraditional as well as at times controversial manner. Thales would take the time to observe and analyze before trying to make sense or justify the reason why something is the way that it is. Thales was a very forward thinker and was very much ahead of his times when it comes to a scientific

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    IHUM 202 Name¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬_______________Nhi Tran__________________ Reading Questions A Discourse on Method 1. As he meditates on and develops his method for finding scientific truths, Descartes debates whether he should sweep away old notions (existing knowledge and philosophies) or build upon them. Which option does he reason is the most effective for him and why?…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Philosophical inquiry, from Plato’s view, seems to have a very vital and practical purpose in the health and stability of the polis. And of course for Aristotle, it is the use of reason that provides us the surest way to the good life; for if we can live moderately, and discover the virtues in life we must pursue to achieve the good life. Reason here enables us to free ourselves from vice and conform our desires to a rational plan or set of…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Socrates’ claim that “things such as size or warmth or whiteness belong neither to the object we measure ourselves against of touch or to we who are doing the measuring or touching” (154b) is a result of taking Heraclitean and Protagorean ideas to their logical extremes. Moreover, in this conclusion, Socrates combined the Heraclitean theory of flux with Theaetetus’ claim that “Knowledge is Perception” (151e), and the Protagorean Man-Is-The-Measure doctrine. These three theses are combined together to properly capture Socrates’ understanding of perception and to make Theaetetus’ view of knowledge as perception plausible. Socrates alters Theaetetus’ initial suggestion because the claim that knowledge is just perception is a self-defeating statement.…

    • 1247 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Without applying both wisdoms the student of the philosopher becomes narrow minded and begins to lack the understanding of the world outside the Thinkery. Aristophanes does a great job of depicting Socrates as a practical philosopher because Socrates lacks to see the world’s problems. In fact, Socrates’s mindset is to manipulate these idle men like Strepsiades and persuade them into thinking that the world’s problems can be solved by becoming less…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hephaestus Research Paper

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hephaestus came up with ideas and made many clever inventions and also made metal to work for…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reading Response: The Apology Analysis “Why does Socrates believe himself to be innocent?” The Apology is a record of Socrates defense to his jurors who had charged him with impiety. When taken before the court, a major part of his defense, is that the Oracle at Delphi proclaims him to be the wisest man alive. Later the Oracle gives the reason that he is wise explaining “He, O men, is the wisest, who, like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing.”. While this statement is a interesting philosophical point, and one that will be discussed later, for now this paper will ask “How does that philosophical point pertain to his innocence?”…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Problem: In Plato’s Meno, after being perplexed by Socrates’s elenchus style of argument, Meno poses a paradox of knowledge. It goes as follows: If we have k of x, then there is no need to inquire about x. If we do not have k about x, then we cannot even inquire about x. This seems to be a problem for how we can come to know things. Either we already know what we are seeking and it is pointless to do so, or we have no knowledge of something so we cannot seek it out. Regardless of this paradox, we are able to learn about things we had no knowledge prior to.…

    • 1362 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the entirety of the book, Socrates is shown as being gifted in the engagement of influential discussion with interlocutors such as Theaetetus and Theodoros. Progressively evolving specified definitions of interest with the help of theories, wisdom from historically significant philosophers, and active conversation, these individuals are able to adapt their thinking and reasoning when conversing with Socrates. Specifically, in Theaetetus, Socrates works in a conducive manner to uncover the true definition of knowledge, and its relation to perception. Deviating from the definition stated by Theaetetus, knowledge was concluded as not being perception.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Meno Vs Socrates

    • 1153 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Philosophy: The Pursuit of Truth, in the Company of Nous Socrates, as presented in many works of Plato, makes inquiries about the garnering of knowledge and truth. In the platonic dialogue, Meno, Socrates attempts to answer Meno’s paradox: if you don’t know what you are looking for, how can it be found? Meno’s question allows for the assertion that inquiry is impossible, for how do we know what to ask, if we don’t know, or have knowledge about, what we are asking. This perplexity brings up the illusion of the enigmatic source of this knowledge. Where does knowledge originate from, what allows for the commencement of inquiry?…

    • 1153 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In Plato’s Apology, the oracle of Delphi is said to state that the Socrates is the wisest of all men. Socrates himself does not initially understand why his God would make such a claim and sets out to discover his reasoning behind it. In doing so he, according to Socrates, he discovers that it is the fact that he himself does not believe to hold any knowledge or wisdom of great virtue which thus actually makes him the wisest of man. Socrates comes to this discovery by exploring commendable professionals in Athens and comparing his own wisdom to their own. He attempted to find a man who held more wisdom then he and he would present him to his God to prove that he is not the wisest of man.…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Socrates was a Greek philosopher who was known mostly because of his type of reasoning and thoughts that were based on using questions to get an answer to things or facts that were not so clear. Socrates believed in searching for information and answers instead of relying on the general believe of others or common sense. According to ‘biography.com’ (N.D), much was not known about Socrates, apart from the things that his students like Prato wrote about him. Even though that Socrates is known as the source of western thoughts, there are other philosophical thoughts that had changed or affected the way people reason during the past, and one of them is the story of a good Brahmin that was written by Voltaire. Plato, who was a student of Socrates wrote about his master’s unending love for the quest of knowledge.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the Apology, Socrates is brought forth in the court of law under multiple accusations, both past and present. Socrates has been given the chance to answer a series of questions to clarify the choices of his blunt actions and statements. This paper will examine the reasons Socrates gives to support the Oracle of Delphi’s view of him being the wisest of all. Socrates provides multiple reasons to support the oracle’s statement; this includes his first examination with the politician and how he thought himself to be more than who he actually was (Socrates, P. 2).…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Math In The Odyssey

    • 1964 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Odysseus, just like the philosophers, shows the power by his knowledge as an experienced ruler. Math and science are a powerful source of knowledge and the power that these contain will help one to be respected and listened to more…

    • 1964 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Ways Of Knowing Essay

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Using one way of knowing is not enough to get the information necessary. Using a network of ways of knowing is more effective because it opens doors to different perspectives that lead to a deeper understanding. The ways of knowing that will be explored throughout this essay will be intuition, memory, and reason and how they become a network in gaining knowledge in the areas of knowledge Mathematics and History. In gaining knowledge in mathematics, there is a great…

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    The purpose of the Theaetetus is to examine how the mind accounts for knowledge by seeking an answer to the question Socrates poses to Theaetetus, what is knowledge? (146A). After a few failed attempts at answering, Theaetetus posits that knowledge is true opinion (187B). Socrates responds that in order for one to know what true opinion is, he must also account for false opinion in the mind. Ultimately, while the dialogue produces no operative definition for knowledge, Plato employs this dialogue to sharpen his arguments for what are and are not the brackets of knowledge.…

    • 1871 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays