El agua como el primer principio: Las razones de Tales de Mileto

Thales of Miletus (VII-VI BC), in addition to being one of the seven wise men, is said to be the first philosopher because he was just the first to give an account of the structure and the formation of the universe. The nuclear point of his thesis is that water is the principle from which have emerged all the realities that make up the diverse and complex cosmic fabric. This thesis, which today may well seem bizarre, have the merit and privilege of being the engine that put in motion a set of concerns, resources and methods, of rational basis, to provide answers to questions that humans beings came to arise from the dawn of time. To what extent and in what sense is Thales of Miletus debtor of beliefs, tools and knowledge of his environment (the Greek cities of the Turkish Aegean coast), including those from the East (Mesopotamia) and South (Egypt), in what sense was a radical innovator, are issues that will be addressed in this paper.