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Thales is often regarded as the first philosopher in Western history. He proposed that water is the fundamental substance that constitutes all matter—a groundbreaking idea at the time. Thales also made significant contributions to mathematics and astronomy.

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~580 BCE: Thales Predicts a Solar Eclipse

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~580 BCE: Thales Predicts a Solar Eclipse

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Thales achieved widespread fame by accurately predicting a solar eclipse. This marked one of the earliest applications of logical reasoning to natural phenomena, moving away from mythological explanations.

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~585-550 BCE: The Life and Work of Anaximander

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~585-550 BCE: The Life and Work of Anaximander

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Anaximander, a student of Thales and his successor, expanded on his mentor’s ideas. He proposed the concept of the 'apeiron,' or 'the boundless,' as the origin of all things. He also created one of the first maps of the known world.

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~550 BCE: Anaximander's Theory of Evolution

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~550 BCE: Anaximander's Theory of Evolution

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Anaximander was one of the earliest thinkers to suggest that life originated from simpler forms in water and evolved over time. This idea significantly prefigured modern evolutionary theory.

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Anaximenes, a younger contemporary of Anaximander, proposed that air is the fundamental substance from which all things are derived. He introduced condensation and rarefaction as processes to explain changes in matter.

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~535 BCE: Anaximenes Observes the Natural World

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~535 BCE: Anaximenes Observes the Natural World

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Anaximenes applied his theories to explain natural phenomena such as rain, wind, and lightning, emphasizing the importance of observational study.

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~600-545 BCE: Philosophical Methods Introduced by the Milesian School

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~600-545 BCE: Philosophical Methods Introduced by the Milesian School

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The thinkers of the Milesian School shifted away from mythological explanations, pioneering methods that emphasized observation, reasoning, and natural processes to explain the universe.

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~545 BCE: Influence of the Milesian School on Future Philosophy

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~545 BCE: Influence of the Milesian School on Future Philosophy

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The ideas of the Milesian philosophers laid the groundwork for later thinkers, including Heraclitus and Pythagoras. Their focus on rational explanation shaped the tradition of Western philosophy.

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~550 BCE: Anaximander Creates the Gnomon

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~550 BCE: Anaximander Creates the Gnomon

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Anaximander introduced the gnomon, a device used to track time and the movement of celestial bodies. It was an important step in developing early scientific instruments.

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~6th Century BCE: The Unity of the Milesian School

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~6th Century BCE: The Unity of the Milesian School

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Though they had differing ideas, the philosophers of the Milesian School shared a commitment to understanding the natural world through rational inquiry, marking the birth of philosophy as a discipline.