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Aristotle said that Thales was the first to consider the basic principles and the question of the originating substances of matter and, therefore, the founder of the school of natural philosophy.  

Aristotle said that Thales was the first to consider the basic principles and the question of the originating substances of matter and, therefore, the founder of the school of natural philosophy.  

:: ''Greek philosophers were among the first in the West to explore nature in a rational way and to make educated guesses about the creation of the world and the universe. This is why Greece is often referred to as the birthplace of Western culture.'' <ref> [http://www.thebigview.com/greeks/ Greek Philosophy] </ref>

:: ''Greek philosophers were among the first in the West to explore nature in a rational way and to make educated guesses about the creation of the world and the universe. This is why Greece is often referred to as the birthplace of Western culture.'' <ref>[http://www.thebigview.com/greeks/ Greek Philosophy]</ref>

At the closing period of Greek philosophy [[Neoplatonism]] was founded by [[Plotinus|Plotinus of Lycopolis]]; its ''emphasis is a scientific philosophy of religion, in which the doctrine of Plato is fused with the most important elements in the Aristotelian and [[Stoicism|Stoic]] systems. <ref> [http://www.iep.utm.edu/g/greekphi.htm#Skepticism Greek Philosophy] </ref>''

At the closing period of Greek philosophy [[Neoplatonism]] was founded by [[Plotinus|Plotinus of Lycopolis]]; its ''emphasis is a scientific philosophy of religion, in which the doctrine of Plato is fused with the most important elements in the Aristotelian and [[Stoicism|Stoic]] systems.<ref>[http://www.iep.utm.edu/g/greekphi.htm#Skepticism Greek Philosophy]</ref>''

Western culture is the heir of the Greek Philosophy that came to our society through the ideals and works of the [[Hellenistic]] philosophers, the medieval [[Muslim]] philosophers, the European [[The Renaissance|Renaissance]] and the [[Enlightenment]].  

Western culture is the heir of the Greek Philosophy that came to our society through the ideals and works of the [[Hellenistic]] philosophers, the medieval [[Muslim]] philosophers, the European [[The Renaissance|Renaissance]] and the [[Enlightenment]].  

''Another's wisdom, is a useless wight.'' [[Aristotle]].

''Another's wisdom, is a useless wight.'' [[Aristotle]].

''My view is, to sum it all up, that all things are differentiations of the same thing, and are the same thing. And this is obvious; for, if the things which are now in this world--earth, and water, and air and fire, and the other things which we see existing in this world--if any one of these things, I say, were different from any other, different, that is, by having a substance peculiar to itself; and if it were not the same thing that is often changed and differentiated, then things could not in any way mix with one another, nor could they do one another good or harm. Neither could a plant grow out of the earth, nor any animal nor anything else come into being unless things were composed in such a way as to be the same. But all these things arise from the same thing; they are differentiated and take different forms at different times, and return again to the same thing.'' [[Diogenes]].

''My view is, to sum it all up, that all things are differentiations of the same thing, and are the same thing. And this is obvious; for, if the things which are now in this world—earth, and water, and air and fire, and the other things which we see existing in this world—if any one of these things, I say, were different from any other, different, that is, by having a substance peculiar to itself; and if it were not the same thing that is often changed and differentiated, then things could not in any way mix with one another, nor could they do one another good or harm. Neither could a plant grow out of the earth, nor any animal nor anything else come into being unless things were composed in such a way as to be the same. But all these things arise from the same thing; they are differentiated and take different forms at different times, and return again to the same thing.'' [[Diogenes]].

''[[God]] is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with Nature. In one sense, every life is in harmony with Nature, since it is such as Nature’s laws have caused it to be; but in another sense a human life is only in harmony with Nature when the individual will is directed to ends which are among those of Nature. Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature. '' [[Zeno]]

''[[God]] is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with Nature. In one sense, every life is in harmony with Nature, since it is such as Nature’s laws have caused it to be; but in another sense a human life is only in harmony with Nature when the individual will is directed to ends which are among those of Nature. Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature. '' [[Zeno]]