Acheloios, Thales, and the Origin of Philosophy: A Response to the Neo-Marxians fundamentally changes our understanding of a pivotal moment in the history of mankind – the origin of the philosophical experience in 6th century Ionia. Through a careful analysis of the archaeological record, a close reading of hundreds of ancient sources, and a deep investigation into the various languages of our past, Nicholas Molinari demonstrates the importance of the influence of the cult of Acheloios on Thales; provides a critique of the Neo-Marxian prioritization of coined money and conflation of metaphysical cosmology and philosophy; and, most importantly, reintegrates beauty and love as philosophy’s ultimate source.