The Philosophy of Thales

There were many memorable names among the Presocratic philosophers; Democritus, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Empedocles; to name a few, but first among them, we are told, is Thales. Who is the "First European Philosopher", and what set him apart from not only his contemporaries, but also those who came before? Sources: - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thales-of-Miletus - https://iep.utm.edu/thales/ - 101 Great Philosophers (Makers of Modern Thought) - Madsen Pirie - Ancient Greek Philosophy (From Thales to Aristotle) - Edited by S. Marc Cohen, Patricia Curd, and C.D.C Reeve (Third Edition) Music: Scott Buckley : The Long Dark www.scottbuckley.com.au CC Attributions: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thales_of_Miletus._Line_engraving_by_Blanchard._Wellcome_V0005771.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thales_of_Miletus._Line_engraving_by_Blanchard._Wellcome_V0005771.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ostia,_Baths_of_the_Seven_Sages_(II)_(