Bach is often called the father of western classical music, while Handel is called the mother of music. I thought it’s because Bach is a little older than Handel, but they were actually the same age. They were both born in Germany in 1685. Maybe it’s because Bach is a little more famous, but anyhow, it must be a little unfair from Handel’s point of view.
Like this, we often call the pioneer of a field, the father of the field. Gallileo Gallilei is called the father of physics, Antoine Lavoisier is called the father of chemistry, and Adam Smith is called the father of economics.
Is there also a father of philosophy? Yes there is. More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle called Thales the father of philosophy. But some people can claim that Handel is the true father of music, not Bach. And some people may claim that Newton is the father of physics, not Gallileo. And others may claim that Karl Marx is the true father of economics, not Adam Smith. However, there’s no argument as to who the father of western philosophy is. It’s Thales - no question.
Why is that? Did Thales come up with some really amazing truth about the world? Actually, the most important thesis of Thales is that “everything is made of water.” It seems odd that someone who believed something so ridiculous earned the title of being the father of western philosophy. Today, we will talk about how that happened.
18 сен 2024
