We know very little about what they actually thought, for these early Greeks lived in an oral society, and it was not until much later that they widely committed works to writing, and much of what was written down early was undoubtedly lost or destroyed. Despite the scarcity of actual words, later Greeks who understood their great accomplishments respected these early philosophers. Also, these early philosophers wanted to know other aspects of life, such as how the world appears to us, and why it appears that way. Before this period, similar thoughts of other individuals had been somewhat disregarded. Although everyone pondered on these questions, an illegitimate explanation was always given. When the pre-Socratic philosophers emerged, these once overlooked thoughts and theories were now considered to be very logical and significant. Thales of Miletus, who many regard as the "father" of philosophy, is credited for actually beginning philosophy. In 585 B.C., Thales used mathematical and astronomical investigations to predict a solar eclipse. His prediction was proven correct, and ever since, philosophy has continued. Thales also pondered on the elements that make up earth. He wanted to know what everything consisted of. His conclusion was that all things in the world were made of water. Soon after this conclusion, he was criticized by another great mind. After Thales, Anaximander rejected the idea that water was the root substance. He believed that reality could not be equated with any one material, but instead an infinite amount of material substances. These two philosophers had many more great thoughts and ideas, but most importantly, they had motivated other individuals to give thought to how the world works and why it works that way. These two philosophers were not alone in their philosophical endeavors, though. This was a period when many great pre-Socratic philosophers began hypothesizing certain aspects of the world.
