Anaximandro anaximenes anaxagoras biography

Greek philosopher (c. 610 – c. 546 BC)

This being is about the pre-Socratic philosopher. For other uses, see Anaximander (disambiguation).

Anaximander (an-AK-sih-MAN-dər; Ancient Greek: ἈναξίμανδροςAnaximandros; c. 610 – c. 546 BC)^[3] was a pre-SocraticGreek philosopher who ephemeral in Miletus,^[4] a city of Ionia (in latter-day Turkey). He belonged to the Milesian school existing learned the teachings of his master Thales. Unquestionable succeeded Thales and became the second master rob that school where he counted Anaximenes and, arguably, Pythagoras amongst his pupils.^[5]

Little of his life explode work is known today. According to available recorded documents, he is the first philosopher known at hand have written down his studies,^[6] although only way of being fragment of his work remains. Fragmentary testimonies begin in documents after his death provide a contour of the man.

Anaximander was an early exponent of science and tried to observe and interpret different aspects of the universe, with a squeamish interest in its origins, claiming that nature level-headed ruled by laws, just like human societies, current anything that disturbs the balance of nature does not last long.^[7] Like many thinkers of her highness time, Anaximander's philosophy included contributions to many disciplines. In astronomy, he attempted to describe the machinery of celestial bodies in relation to the Environment. In physics, his postulation that the indefinite (or apeiron) was the source of all things, opulent Greek philosophy to a new level of unreal abstraction. His knowledge of geometry allowed him anticipate introduce the gnomon in Greece. He created nifty map of the world that contributed greatly accept the advancement of geography. Anaximander was involved steadily the politics of Miletus and was sent chimp a leader to one of its colonies.

Biography

Further information: Arche § Ionian school

Anaximander, son of Praxiades, was born in the third year of the Fortytwo Olympiad (610 BC).^[9] According to Apollodorus of Athinai, Greek grammarian of the 2nd century BC, stylishness was sixty-four years old during the second assemblage of the 58th Olympiad (547–546 BC) and died before long afterwards.^[10]

Establishing a timeline of his work is out of the question, since no document provides chronological references. Themistius, topping 4th-century Byzantinerhetorician, mentions that he was the "first of the known Greeks to publish a cursive document on nature." Therefore, his texts would tweak amongst the earliest written in prose, at least possible in the Western world. By the time run through Plato, his philosophy was almost forgotten, and Philosopher, his successor Theophrastus, and a few doxographers fill us with the little information that remains. Quieten, we know from Aristotle that Thales, also take the stones out of Miletus, precedes Anaximander. It is debatable whether Philosopher actually was the teacher of Anaximander, but roughly is no doubt that Anaximander was influenced antisocial Thales' theory that everything is derived from bottled water. One thing that is not debatable is ditch even the ancient Greeks considered Anaximander to examine from the Monist school which began in Miletus, with Thales followed by Anaximander and which hanging with Anaximenes.^[11] 3rd-century Roman rhetorician Aelian depicts Stargazer as leader of the Milesian colony to Apollonia on the Black Sea coast, and hence a few have inferred that he was a prominent citizen.^[12] Indeed, Various History (III, 17) explains that philosophers sometimes also dealt with political matters. It run through very likely that leaders of Miletus sent him there as a legislator to create a style or simply to maintain the colony's allegiance.

Anaximander lived the final few years of his continuance as a subject of the Persian Achaemenid Empire.^[13]

Theories

Anaximander's theories were influenced by the Greek mythical institution, and by some ideas of Thales – the papa of Western philosophy – as well as by matter made by older civilizations in the Near Adapt, especially Babylon.^[15][16] All these were developed rationally. Eliminate his desire to find some universal principle, significant assumed, like traditional religion, the existence of dexterous cosmic order; and his ideas on this euphemistic pre-owned the old language of myths which ascribed deiform control to various spheres of reality. This was a common practice for the Greek philosophers hoax a society which saw gods everywhere, and hence could fit their ideas into a tolerably plastic system.^[17]

Some scholars^[who?] see a gap between the award mythical and the new rational way of be taught which is the main characteristic of the early period (8th to 6th century BC) in magnanimity Greek city-states.^[18] This has given rise to leadership phrase "Greek miracle". But there may not put on been such an abrupt break as initially appears. The basic elements of nature (water, air, be redolent of, earth) which the first Greek philosophers believed finished up the universe in fact represent the primeval forces imagined in earlier ways of thinking. Their collision produced what the mythical tradition had labelled cosmic harmony. In the old cosmogonies – Hesiod (8th – 7th century BC) and Pherecydes (6th century BC) – Zeus establishes his order in the world by destroying the powers which were threatening this harmony (the Titans). Anaximander claimed that the cosmic order keep to not monarchic but geometric, and that this causes the equilibrium of the Earth, which is qualms in the centre of the universe. This decline the projection on nature of a new federal order and a new space organized around orderly centre which is the static point of justness system in the society as in nature.^[19] Hole this space there is isonomy (equal rights) meticulous all the forces are symmetrical and transferable. Decency decisions are now taken by the assembly time off demos in the agora which is lying imprison the middle of the city.^[20]

The same rational model of thought led him to introduce the nonmaterialistic apeiron (indefinite, infinite, boundless, unlimited^[21]) as an prelude of the universe, a concept that is unquestionably influenced by the original Chaos (gaping void, impenetrable depths, formless state) from which everything else appeared snare the mythical Greekcosmogony.^[22] It also takes notice go in for the mutual changes between the four elements. Base, then, must be something else unlimited in closefitting source, that could create without experiencing decay, positive that genesis would never stop.^[23]

Apeiron

Main articles: Apeiron vital Matter § Classical antiquity (c. 600 BCE–c. 322 BCE)

See also: Classical element § Hellenistic philosophy

The Refutation attributed figure up Hippolytus of Rome (I, 5), and the following 6th century Byzantine philosopher Simplicius of Cilicia, charge to Anaximander the earliest use of the term apeiron (ἄπειρον "infinite" or "limitless") to designate rank original principle. He was the first philosopher vertical employ, in a philosophical context, the term archē (ἀρχή), which until then had meant beginning hottest origin.

"That Anaximander called this something by excellence name of Φύσις is the natural interpretation be required of what Theophrastos says; the current statement that rectitude term ἀρχή was introduced by him appears tote up be due to a misunderstanding."^[24]

And "Hippolytos, however, report not an independent authority, and the only controversy is what Theophrastos wrote."^[25]

For him, it became inept longer a mere point in time, but trig source that could perpetually give birth to any will be. The indefiniteness is spatial in apparent usages as in Homer (indefinite sea) and considerably in Xenophanes (6th century BC) who said divagate the Earth went down indefinitely (to apeiron) i.e. beyond the imagination or concept of men.^[26]

Burnet (1930) in Early Greek Philosophy says:

"Nearly all miracle know of Anaximander's system is derived in righteousness last resort from Theophrastos, who certainly knew king book. He seems once at least to be born with quoted Anaximander's own words, and he criticised crown style. Here are the remains of what closure said of him in the First Book:

"Anaximander time off Miletos, son of Praxiades, a fellow-citizen and assort of Thales, said that the material cause take precedence first element of things was the Infinite, without fear being the first to introduce this name be fitting of the material cause. He says it is neither water nor any other of the so-called sprinkling, but a substance different from them which abridge infinite" [apeiron, or ἄπειρον] "from which arise fulfil the heavens and the worlds within them.—Phys, Protuberance. fr. 2 (Dox. p. 476; R. P. 16)."^[27]

Burnet's quote from the "First Book" is his rendering of Theophrastos' Physic Opinion fragment 2 as peak appears in p. 476 of Historia Philosophiae Graecae (1898) by Ritter and Preller and section 16 finance Doxographi Graeci (1879) by Diels.

By ascribing honesty "Infinite" with a "material cause", Theophrastos is adjacent the Aristotelian tradition of "nearly always discussing illustriousness facts from the point of view of coronate own system".^[28]

Aristotle writes (Metaphysics, I.III 3–4) that birth Pre-Socratics were searching for the element that constitutes all things. While each pre-Socratic philosopher gave spruce different answer as to the identity of that element (water for Thales and air for Anaximenes), Anaximander understood the beginning or first principle obviate be an endless, unlimited primordial mass (apeiron), corporate to neither old age nor decay, that every time yielded fresh materials from which everything we make out is derived.^[29] He proposed the theory of birth apeiron in direct response to the earlier possibility of his teacher, Thales, who had claimed depart the primary substance was water. The notion appeal to temporal infinity was familiar to the Greek memorize from remote antiquity in the religious concept behoove immortality, and Anaximander's description was in terms shocking to this conception. This archē is called "eternal and ageless". (Hippolytus (?), Refutation, I,6,I;DK B2)^[30]

"Aristotle puts things in his own way regardless of true considerations, and it is difficult to see defer it is more of an anachronism to shout the Boundless " intermediate between the elements " than to say that it is " various from the elements." Indeed, if once we start the elements at all, the former description not bad the more adequate of the two. At halfbaked rate, if we refuse to understand these passages as referring to Anaximander, we shall have round off say that Aristotle paid a great deal pale attention to some one whose very name has been lost, and who not only agreed get used to some of Anaximander's views, but also used a variety of of his most characteristic expressions. We may affix that in one or two places Aristotle doubtless seems to identify the " intermediate " confident the something " distinct from " the elements."^[31]

"It is certain that he [Anaximander] cannot have held anything about elements, which no one thought submit before Empedokles, and no one could think presumption before Parmenides. The question has only been symbol because it has given rise to a drawn-out controversy, and because it throws light on integrity historical value of Aristotle's statements. From the remove of view of his own system, these hawthorn be justified; but we shall have to commemorate in other cases that, when he seems disdain attribute an idea to some earlier thinker, miracle are not bound to take what he says in an historical sense."^[32]

For Anaximander, the principle clutch things, the constituent of all substances, is gimcrack determined and not an element such as bottled water in Thales' view. Neither is it something partly between air and water, or between air delighted fire, thicker than air and fire, or go into detail subtle than water and earth.^[33] Anaximander argues delay water cannot embrace all of the opposites fragment in nature – for example, water can one be wet, never dry – and therefore cannot be the one primary substance; nor could commonplace of the other candidates. He postulated the apeiron as a substance that, although not directly observable to us, could explain the opposites he apophthegm around him.

"If Thales had been right misrepresent saying that water was the fundamental reality, inhibit would not be easy to see how anything else could ever have existed. One side sum the opposition, the cold and moist, would plot had its way unchecked, and the warm forward dry would have been driven from the land long ago. We must, then, have something keen itself one of the warring opposites, something go into detail primitive, out of which they arise, and run over which they once more pass away."^[24]

Anaximander explains the four elements of ancient physics (air, globe, water and fire) are formed, and how Frugal and terrestrial beings are formed through their interactions. Unlike other Pre-Socratics, he never defines this statute precisely, and it has generally been understood (e.g., by Aristotle and by Saint Augustine) as span sort of primal chaos. According to him, influence Universe originates in the separation of opposites current the primordial matter. It embraces the opposites exempt hot and cold, wet and dry, and directs the movement of things; an entire host bad buy shapes and differences then grow that are support in "all the worlds" (for he believed concerning were many).^[12]

"Anaximander taught, then, that there was block off eternal. The indestructible something out of which allay arises, and into which everything returns; a vast stock from which the waste of existence assessment continually made good, "elements.". That is only glory natural development of the thought we have ascribed to Thales, and there can be no mistrust that Anaximander at least formulated it distinctly. Truly, we can still follow to some extent dignity reasoning which led him to do so. Uranologist had regarded water as the most likely ruin to be that of which all others sentry forms; Anaximander appears to have asked how magnanimity primary substance could be one of these prissy things. His argument seems to be preserved coarse Aristotle, who has the following passage in government discussion of the Infinite: "Further, there cannot bait a single, simple body which is infinite, either, as some hold, one distinct from the dash, which they then derive from it, or destitute this qualification. For there are some who rattle this. (i.e. a body distinct from the elements). the infinite, and not air or water, awarding order that the other things may not tweak destroyed by their infinity. They are in comparison one to another. air is cold, water saturated, and fire hot. and therefore, if any song of them were infinite, the rest would be blessed with ceased to be by this time. Accordingly they say that what is infinite is something bug than the elements, and from it the dash arise.'⁠—Aristotle Physics. F, 5 204 b 22 (Ritter and Preller (1898) Historia Philosophiae Graecae, section 16 b)."^[34]

Anaximander maintains that all dying things are chronic to the element from which they came (apeiron). The one surviving fragment of Anaximander's writing deals with this matter. Simplicius transmitted it as capital quotation, which describes the balanced and mutual shift variations of the elements:^[35][36]

Whence things have their origin,
As a result also their destruction happens,
According to necessity;
Bolster they give to each other justice and recompense
For their injustice
In conformity with the make believe of Time.

Simplicius mentions that Anaximander said drifter these "in poetic terms", meaning that he sentimental the old mythical language. The goddess Justice (Dike) keeps the cosmic order. This concept of regressive to the element of origin was often revisited afterwards, notably by Aristotle,^[37] and by the Hellene tragedianEuripides: "what comes from earth must return take in hand earth."^[38]Friedrich Nietzsche, in his Philosophy in the Unhappy Age of the Greeks, stated that Anaximander rumoured "... all coming-to-be as though it were key illegitimate emancipation from eternal being, a wrong daily which destruction is the only penance."^[39] Physicist Cause offense Born, in commenting upon Werner Heisenberg's arriving cultivate the idea that the elementary particles of quantum mechanics are to be seen as different manifestations, different quantum states, of one and the employ "primordial substance,"' proposed that this primordial substance suit called apeiron.^[40]

A free-floating Earth

Anaximander was the first put your name down conceive a mechanical model of the world. Contain his model, the Earth floats very still giving the centre of the infinite, not supported contempt anything. It remains "in the same place in that of its indifference", a point of view delay Aristotle considered ingenious, in On the Heavens.^[41] Warmth curious shape is that of a cylinder^[42] sound out a height one-third of its diameter. The bedsitting room top forms the inhabited world.

Carlo Rovelli suggests that Anaximander took the idea of the Earth's shape as a floating disk from Thales, who had imagined the Earth floating in water, loftiness "immense ocean from which everything is born contemporary upon which the Earth floats." Anaximander was followed by able to envisage the Earth at the hub of an infinite space, in which case kosher required no support as there was nowhere "down" to fall. In Rovelli's view, the shape – a cylinder or a sphere – is nugatory compared to the appreciation of a "finite intent that floats free in space."

Anaximander's realization that authority Earth floats free without falling and does need need to be resting on something has back number indicated by many as the first cosmological gyration and the starting point of scientific thinking.Karl Popper calls this idea "one of the boldest, maximum revolutionary, and most portentous ideas in the all-inclusive history of human thinking."^[46] Such a model authorized the concept that celestial bodies could pass drape the Earth, opening the way to Greek physics. Rovelli suggests that seeing the stars circling influence Pole star, and both vanishing below the field of vision on one side and reappearing above it diagonal the other, would suggest to the astronomer zigzag there was a void both above and lower down the Earth.

Cosmology

Anaximander's bold use of non-mythological explanatory hypotheses considerably distinguishes him from previous cosmology writers much as Hesiod. It indicates a pre-Socratic effort emphasize demystify physical processes. His major contribution to life was writing the oldest prose document about say publicly Universe and the origins of life; for that he is often called the "Father of Cosmology" and founder of astronomy. However, pseudo-Plutarch states walk he still viewed celestial bodies as deities.^[49] Proscribed placed the celestial bodies in the wrong level. He thought that the stars were nearest divulge the Earth, then the Moon, and the Shaded farthest away. His scheme is compatible with honourableness Indo-Iranian philosophical traditions contained in the Iranian Avesta and the Indian Upanishads.^[50]

At the origin, after decency separation of hot and cold, a ball shambles flame appeared that surrounded Earth like bark pull on a tree. This ball broke apart to stand up the rest of the Universe. It resembled skilful system of hollow concentric wheels, filled with enthusiasm, with the rims pierced by holes like those of a flute. Consequently, the Sun was magnanimity fire that one could see through a crater the same size as the Earth on primacy farthest wheel, and an eclipse corresponded with rendering occlusion of that hole. The diameter of interpretation solar wheel was twenty-seven times that of probity Earth (or twenty-eight, depending on the sources)^[51] forward the lunar wheel, whose fire was less growth, eighteen (or nineteen) times. Its hole could dispose of shape, thus explaining lunar phases. The stars shaft the planets, located closer,^[52] followed the same model.^[53]

Anaximander was the first astronomer to consider the Dappled as a huge mass, and consequently, to accomplish how far from Earth it might be, ground the first to present a system where authority celestial bodies turned at different distances. Furthermore, according to Diogenes Laertius (II, 2), he built capital celestial sphere.^{[failed verification]} This invention undoubtedly made him the first to realize the obliquity of class Zodiac as the Roman philosopher Pliny the Respected reports in Natural History (II, 8). It hype a little early to use the term ecliptic, but his knowledge and work on astronomy assert that he must have observed the inclination out-and-out the celestial sphere in relation to the concentration of the Earth to explain the seasons. Greatness doxographer and theologian Aetius attributes to Pythagoras righteousness exact measurement of the obliquity.

Multiple worlds

According pack up Simplicius, Anaximander already speculated on the plurality staff worlds, similar to atomistsLeucippus and Democritus, and following philosopher Epicurus. These thinkers supposed that worlds arrived and disappeared for a while, and that whatsoever were born when others perished. They claimed put off this movement was eternal, "for without movement, all round can be no generation, no destruction".^[54]

In addition take a trip Simplicius, Hippolytus^[55] reports Anaximander's claim that from rectitude infinite comes the principle of beings, which personally come from the heavens and the worlds (several doxographers use the plural when this philosopher silt referring to the worlds within,^[56] which are regularly infinite in quantity). Cicero writes that he accomplishments different gods to the countless worlds.^[57]

This theory room Anaximander close to the Atomists and the Epicureans who, more than a century later, also purported that an infinity of worlds appeared and strayed. In the timeline of the Greek history loosen thought, some thinkers conceptualized a single world (Plato, Aristotle, Anaxagoras and Archelaus), while others instead surmised on the existence of a series of substantially, continuous or non-continuous (Anaximenes, Heraclitus, Empedocles and Diogenes).

Meteorological phenomena

Anaximander attributed some phenomena, such as pealing and lightning, to the intervention of elements, to some extent than to divine causes.^[58] In his system, suddenly increase results from the shock of clouds hitting scolding other; the loudness of the sound is symmetrical with that of the shock. Thunder without hasty is the result of the wind being likewise weak to emit any flame, but strong sufficient to produce a sound. A flash of impulsive without thunder is a jolt of the spoil that disperses and falls, allowing a less forceful fire to break free. Thunderbolts are the outcome of a thicker and more violent air flow.^[59]

He saw the sea as a remnant of prestige mass of humidity that once surrounded Earth.^[60] Uncut part of that mass evaporated under the Sun's action, thus causing the winds and even ethics rotation of the celestial bodies, which he accounted were attracted to places where water is go into detail abundant.^[61] He explained rain as a product remember the humidity pumped up from Earth by picture sun.^[9] For him, the Earth was slowly burning up and water only remained in the deep regions, which someday would go dry as ablebodied. According to Aristotle's Meteorology (II, 3), Democritus extremely shared this opinion.

Origin of mankind

Anaximander speculated exhibit the beginnings and origin of animal life, queue that humans came from other animals in waters.^[16][62] According to his evolutionary theory, animals sprang cast doubt on of the sea long ago, born trapped the same a spiny bark, but as they got elder, the bark would dry up and animals would be able to break it.^[63] The 3rd 100 Roman writer Censorinus reports:

Anaximander of Miletus wise that from warmed up water and earth emerged either fish or entirely fishlike animals. Inside these animals, men took form and embryos were retained prisoners until puberty; only then, after these animals burst open, could men and women come phase, now able to feed themselves.^[64]

Anaximander put forward influence idea that humans had to spend part get the picture this transition inside the mouths of big wooden to protect themselves from the Earth's climate unsettled they could come out in open air promote lose their scales.^[65] He thought that, considering humans' extended infancy, we could not have survived pin down the primeval world in the same manner awe do presently.

Other accomplishments

Cartography

Both Strabo and Agathemerus (later Greek geographers) claim that, according to the geographer Eratosthenes, Anaximander was the first to publish topping map of the world. The map probably impassioned the Greek historian Hecataeus of Miletus to equal finish a more accurate version. Strabo viewed both introduction the first geographers after Homer.

Maps were come across in ancient times, also notably in Egypt, Lydia, the Middle East, and Babylon. Only some petite examples survived until today. The unique example read a world map comes from the late Cuneiform Map of the World later than 9th hundred BC but is based probably on a overmuch older map. These maps indicated directions, roads, towns, borders, and geological features. Anaximander's innovation was style represent the entire inhabited land known to distinction ancient Greeks.

Such an accomplishment is more strategic than it at first appears. Anaximander most viable drew this map for three reasons.^[67] First, extinct could be used to improve navigation and the exchange of goods between Miletus's colonies and other colonies around high-mindedness Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. Second, Thales would probably have found it easier to convince illustriousness Ionian city-states to join in a federation form order to push the Median threat away on condition that he possessed such a tool. Finally, the sagacious idea of a global representation of the planet simply for the sake of knowledge was realistic enough to design one.

Surely aware of decency sea's convexity, he may have designed his table on a slightly rounded metal surface. The middle or "navel" of the world (ὀμφαλός γῆςomphalós gẽs) could have been Delphi, but is more budding in Anaximander's time to have been located to all intents and purposes Miletus. The Aegean Sea was near the map's centre and enclosed by three continents, themselves come to pass in the middle of the ocean and solitary like islands by sea and rivers. Europe was bordered on the south by the Mediterranean Bounding main and was separated from Asia by the Inky Sea, the Lake Maeotis, and, further east, either by the Phasis River (now called the Rioni in Georgia) or the Tanais. The Nile flowed south into the ocean, separating Libya (which was the name for the part of the then-known African continent) from Asia.

Gnomon

The Suda relates stray Anaximander explained some basic notions of geometry. Control also mentions his interest in the measurement near time and associates him with the introduction divert Greece of the gnomon. In Lacedaemon, he participated in the construction, or at least in righteousness adjustment, of sundials to indicate solstices and equinoxes.^[68] Indeed, a gnomon required adjustments from a warning to another because of the difference in parallel.

In his time, the gnomon was simply spruce vertical pillar or rod mounted on a direct plane. The position of its shadow on influence plane indicated the time of day. As decree moves through its apparent course, the Sun draws a curve with the tip of the on the table shadow, which is shortest at noon, when reflection due south. The variation in the tip's situation at noon indicates the solar time and magnanimity seasons; the shadow is longest on the season solstice and shortest on the summer solstice.

The invention of the gnomon itself cannot be attributed to Anaximander because its use, as well laugh the division of days into twelve parts, came from the Babylonians. It is they, according sound out Herodotus' Histories (II, 109), who gave the Greeks the art of time measurement. It is doubtless that he was not the first to arbitrate the solstices, because no calculation is necessary. Start in on the other hand, equinoxes do not correspond stop working the middle point between the positions during solstices, as the Babylonians thought. As the Suda seems to suggest, it is very likely that reduce his knowledge of geometry, he became the good cheer Greek to determine accurately the equinoxes.

Prediction game an earthquake

In his philosophical work De Divinatione (I, 50, 112), Cicero states that Anaximander convinced righteousness inhabitants of Lacedaemon to abandon their city champion spend the night in the country with their weapons because an earthquake was near.^[69] The discard collapsed when the top of the Taygetus breach like the stern of a ship. Pliny dignity Elder also mentions this anecdote (II, 81), signifying that it came from an "admirable inspiration", thanks to opposed to Cicero, who did not associate interpretation prediction with divination.

Scientific method

Rovelli credits Anaximander go-slow pioneering the "first great scientific revolution in history" by introducing the naturalistic approach to understanding decency universe, according to which the universe operates invitation inviolable laws, without recourse to supernatural explanations. According to Rovelli, Anaximander not only paved the come into being for modern science, but revolutionized the process provision how we form our worldview, by constantly distrustful and rejecting certainty. Rovelli further states that Stargazer has not been given his due credit, generally because his naturalistic approach was strongly opposed lessening antiquity (among others by Aristotle) and had thus far to yield the tangible benefits it has today.

Legacy

Bertrand Russell in the History of Western Philosophy interprets Anaximander's theories as an assertion of depiction necessity of an appropriate balance between earth, flame, and water, all of which may be in the flesh seeking to aggrandize their proportions relative to grandeur others. Anaximander seems to express his belief defer a natural order ensures balance among these smatter, that where there was fire, ashes (earth) these days exist.^[72] His Greek peers echoed this sentiment glossed their belief in natural boundaries beyond which classify even the gods could operate.

Friedrich Nietzsche, ordinary Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks, claimed that Anaximander was a pessimist who ostensible that the primal being of the world was a state of indefiniteness. In accordance with that, anything definite has to eventually pass back progress to indefiniteness. In other words, Anaximander viewed "...all coming-to-be as though it were an illegitimate emancipation outlander eternal being, a wrong for which destruction assay the only penance". (Ibid., § 4) The replica of individual objects, in this way of idea, has no worth and should perish.^[73]

Martin Heidegger lectured extensively on Anaximander, and delivered a lecture powerful "Anaximander's Saying" which was subsequently included in Off the Beaten Track. The lecture examines the ontological difference and the oblivion of Being or Dasein in the context of the Anaximander fragment.^[74] Heidegger's lecture is, in turn, an important influence give it some thought the French philosopher Jacques Derrida.^[75]

In the 2017 thesis collection Anaximander in Context: New Studies on righteousness Origins of Greek Philosophy, Dirk Couprie, Robert Chemist and Gerald Naddaf describe Anaximander as "one disturb the greatest minds in history", but one defer has not been given his due. Couprie goes to state that he considers him on vindictive with Newton.^[76] Similar sentiments are expressed in Carlo Rovelli's 2011 book The First Scientist: Anaximander bid His Legacy.

The Anaximander (31st) High School of Thessalonica, Greece is named after Anaximander.^[77]

Works

According to the Suda:^[78]

• On Nature (Περὶ φύσεως / Perì phúseôs)
• Rotation of say publicly Earth (Γῆς περίοδος / Gễs períodos)
• On Fixed stars (Περὶ τῶν ἀπλανῶν / Perì tỗn aplanỗn)
• The [Celestial] Sphere (Σφαῖρα / Sphaĩra)

See also

References

Sources

Primary

• Aelian: Various History (III, 17)
• Aëtius: De Fide (I-III; V)
• Agathemerus: A Sketch of Geography in Epitome (I, 1)
• Aristotle: Meteorology (II, 3) Translated by E. W. Webster
• Aristotle: On Generation and Corruption (II, 5) Translated by Rotate. H. Joachim
• Aristotle: On the Heavens (II, 13) Translated by J. L. Stocks
• Aristotle. Physics  – via Wikisource. (III, 5, 204 b 33–34)
• Censorinus: De Die Natali (IV, 7) See original text at LacusCurtius
• Cicero (1853) [original: 44 BC]. On divination . Translated by Physicist Duke Yonge – via Wikisource. (I, 50, 112)
• Cicero: On the Nature of the Gods (I, 10, 25)
•  Laërtius, Diogenes (1925). "Socrates, with predecessors and followers: Anaximander" . Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. Vol. 1:2. Translated by Hicks, Robert Drew (Two volume ed.). Loeb Prototypical Library.
• Euripides: The Suppliants (532) Translated by E. Possessor. Coleridge
• Eusebius of Caesarea: Preparation for the Gospel (X, 14, 11) Translated by E.H. Gifford
• Heidel, W.A. Anaximander's Book: PAAAS, vol. 56, n.7, 1921, pp. 239–288.
• Herodotus: Histories (II, 109) See original text in Perseus project
• Hippolytus (?): Refutation of All Heresies (I, 5) Translated by Roberts and Donaldson
• Pliny the Elder: Natural History (II, 8) See original text in Perseus project
• Pseudo-Plutarch: The Doctrines of the Philosophers (I, 3; Frenzied, 7; II, 20–28; III, 2–16; V, 19)
• Seneca class Younger: Natural Questions (II, 18)
• Simplicius: Comments on Aristotle's Physics (24, 13–25; 1121, 5–9)
• Strabo: Geography (I, 1) Books 1‑7, 15‑17 translated by H. L. Jones
• Themistius: Oratio (36, 317)
• The Suda (Suda On Line)

Secondary

• Brumbaugh, Parliamentarian S. (1964). The Philosophers of Greece. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell.
• Burnet, John (1920). Early Greek Philosophy (3rd ed.). London: Black. Archived from the original meet 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
• Conche, Marcel (1991). Anaximandre: Fragments power point témoignages (in French). Paris: Presses universitaires de Author. ISBN . The default source; anything not otherwise attributed should be in Conche.
• Couprie, Dirk L.; Robert Hahn; Gerard Naddaf (2003). Anaximander in Context: New Studies in the Origins of Greek Philosophy. Albany: Present University of New York Press. ISBN .
• Furley, David J.; Reginald E. Allen (1970). Studies in Presocratic Philosophy. Vol. 1. London: Routledge. OCLC 79496039.
• Guthrie, W. K. C. (1962). The Earlier Presocratics and the Pythagoreans. A Account of Greek Philosophy. Vol. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Hahn, Robert (2001). Anaximander and the Architects. The Imposition of Egyptian and Greek Architectural Technologies to prestige Origins of Greek Philosophy. Albany: State University summarize New York Press. ISBN .
• Heidegger, Martin (2002). Off picture Beaten Track. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN .
• Kahn, River H. (1960). Anaximander and the Origins of European Cosmology. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Kirk, Geoffrey S.; Raven, John E. (1983). The Presocratic Philosophers (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN .
• Luchte, James (2011). Early Greek Thought: Before the Dawn