User blog:Pseudo.chaerephon/Thales Cosmogony

Outline and Rough Draft: Stage One of a Work in Progress

0. Introduction

1. Thales: What We Know and Where It Comes From

A. A guy from a time and place

Thales has been identified as a man maybe of Phoenician decent from Miletus in Greek Ionia (DL 1, 22). Born and died sometime around 620 and 546 BCE (KRS 76). Widely credited with the founding of natural philosophy and sometimes granted the title of first philosopher (DG 17). Is said to have contributed valued insight to sea navigation (Cal. 94, 1-4), Greek government (Her. 1.170.3) and ancient science. Distingushed from thinkers like Homer and Hesiod in that he is said to have focused on a more human understanding of the cosmos and life instead of relying on Gods or general mysticism (RW xx).

B. One of the Seven Sages and gifted with prophecy?

The wisdom of antiquity...

C. Aristotle's distortion and generations of thinking added in context

2. Cosmogony and First Philosophy

A. Considering kosmos and gonos

B. Presocratic philosophy and the mythology of antiquity

C. Philosophical foundations and attitudes

3. Elements and Principles

4. Water as the Principle Element

5. Responses to Commentary

6. Implications and Conclusion

Inline Citation References:

Terms and Parsing:
 * Lives of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius (DL [book and line number])
 * The Presocratic Philosophers, 2nd edn. by G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven, and M. Schofield (KRS [page number])
 * The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy, 2 vols. by Daniel Graham (DG [page number])
 * Iambi by Callimachus (Cal. [fragment and line number])
 * Histories by Herodotus (Her. [book, section and line])
 * The First Philosophers by Robin Waterfield (RW [page number])

ΚΌΣΜΟΣ (KOSMOS) - order, in order, duly; good order, good behaviour, decency; the form, fashion of a thing; of states, order, government; an ornament, decoration, embellishment, dress; honour, credit; the world or universe, from its perfect order; mankind as we use 'the world.'

ΓΌΝΟΣ (GONOS) - that which is begotten; one's race, stock or descent.