"Thales argued, that the Load-stone, and Amber had soules; the first because it drawes Iron, the second Straw."

— Stanley, Thomas (1625-1678)


Publisher
Humphrey Moseley and Thomas Dring
Date
1656
Metaphor
"Thales argued, that the Load-stone, and Amber had soules; the first because it drawes Iron, the second Straw."
Metaphor in Context
From the second part of the difference in the definition ( viz. from moving other things) Thales argued, that the Load-stone, and Amber had soules; the first because it drawes Iron, the second Straw. He further (saith Laertius) asserted those things we count inoni|mate, to have souls, arguing it from the loadstone and Amber: the reason of which latter example, Aldobrandinu[...] falsely interprets its change of colour, and jarring as it were at poison: But Aristotle more plainly, for of those whom we mentioned, Thales seems to have taken the soul to be something [...], apt to move, since he affirmed a stone to have a soul, because it moved Iron.

He asserted likewise the soul (of man) to be immortall, and according to Cherilus, was the first that held so. Cicero ascribes the originall of this opinion to Pherecydes, but it rather seems to have been brought by Thales from the Egyptians; that they held so Herodotus attests.
(I.iv.4, pp. 13-14)
Provenance
Browsing in EEBO
Citation
Stanley, Thomas. The History of Philosophy, in Eight Parts. Early English Books Online. 2 vols. London: Humphrey Moseley and Thomas Dring, 1656.
Date of Entry
10/16/2003
Date of Review
12/12/2003

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.