Instead of conventional ideas , he advanced scientific method by setting forth hypothesis and then identified the underlying principles . He influenced later Greek thinkers and philosophers such as
Pythagoras and others . His essential belief was as Laertius said “ Water constituted the principles of all things ”.
As Cicero said this about Thales :
“ Thales assures that water is the principle of all things ; and that God is that mind which shaped and created all things from water ”
He also brought up new rational basis of things rather than initially held supernatural explanations . One such example was his attempt to explain earthquakes by movement of earth or floating of earth on water rather than attributing it to some supernatural incidence .