matter, summed up, illustrated, epitomized in: water. The one principle that explains (to some degree, anyway) everything. Everything Thales observed was either a solid, a liquid, or a gas. Therefore water was the key element that explained all else. Brilliant! His explanation covers a great deal of our experience with the world. Matter generally does sort itself out into one of those three states. However, most of us do not feel satisfied with an explanation of everything that addresses only the three states of matter. Ultimately, Thales failed. Over the centuries since his time we have been failing valiantly as well, looking to find the one explanation for all. That is the history of philosophy. That is our history. We fail repeatedly, but never give up. This, then, is my effort at a valiant failure, my attempt to explain: What is everything? What is good? And how can we live?
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