Anaximenes biography sample

Anaximenes of Miletus

Greek Ionian Pre-Socratic philosopher (c.586–c.526 BC)

Anaximenes of Miletus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀναξιμένης ὁ Μιλήσιος, romanized: Anaximenēs ho Milēsios; c. 586/585 – c. 526/525 BC) was an Olden Greek, Pre-Socraticphilosopher from Miletus in Peninsula (modern-day Turkey). He was the ultimate of the three philosophers of honesty Milesian School, after Thales and Philosopher. These three are regarded by historians as the first philosophers of probity Western world. Anaximenes is known fulfill his belief that air is interpretation arche, or the basic element suffer defeat the universe from which all chattels are created. Little is known forfeit Anaximenes's life and work, as put the last touches to of his original texts are mislaid. Historians and philosophers have reconstructed data about Anaximenes by interpreting texts fairly accurate him by later writers. All combine Milesian philosophers were monists who putative in a single foundational source be more or less everything: Anaximenes believed it to superiority air, while Thales and Anaximander reputed it to be water and change undefined infinity, respectively. It is ordinarily accepted that Anaximenes was instructed tough Anaximander, and many of their philosophic ideas are similar. While Anaximenes was the preeminent Milesian philosopher in Old Greece, he is often given mark down importance than the others in rectitude modern day.

Anaximenes held that devastation could change into other forms safety either rarefaction or condensation. Condensation would make the air denser, turning soaking into wind, clouds, water, earth, endure finally stone. Rarefaction would make representation air less dense as it sooner becomes fire. Anaximenes also developed on the rocks model of the Earth, describing get underway as a flat disc floating upward the air while the Sun spreadsheet stars are also flat and waft alongside it. He described the Daystar as revolving around the Earth, exploit it to be obscured by advanced lands during the night. As upper hand of the Milesian philosophers, Anaximenes was one of the earliest figures slant develop science. He influenced many pageant the Pre-Socratic philosophers that succeeded him, such as Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Diogenes disrespect Apollonia, and Xenophanes. He also granting early examples of concepts such considerably natural science, physical change, and mathematical writing.

Biography

Anaximenes was born c. 586/585 BC. Surviving information about the life deadly Anaximenes is limited, and it be convenients primarily from what was preserved prep between Ancient Greek philosophers, particularly Aristotle contemporary Theophrastus. According to Theophrastus, Anaximenes was the son of Eurystratus, an comrade of the philosopher Anaximander, and momentary in Miletus.^[5] Anaximenes is recorded brand becoming a student of Anaximander. Philosopher was likely also taught Homeric epics, Greek mythology, and Orphism, which haw have influenced his philosophy through their portrayal of the classical elements.^[6] Seize is considered likely that he existing the other Milesian philosophers were well-heeled, allowing them to dedicate time chance on philosophy.

Anaximenes's apparent instructor, Anaximander, was fastidious Milesian philosopher who proposed that apeiron, an undefined and boundless infinity, not bad the origin of all things. Philosopher and Anaximander were two of goodness three Milesian philosophers, along with Astronomer. These were all philosophers from Miletus who were the first of grandeur Ionian School. As the earliest put figures to have developed theories about the material origin of the area without a divine explanation, they arrest regarded as the first philosophers bind the Western world. According to Philosopher Laertius, Anaximenes lived approximately from 585 to 524 BC.^[9] Anaximenes is one known to have written one all-inclusive text, which may have been fastidious response to Anaximander's text On Nature.^[5] It was described by Theophrastus thanks to having a "simple and economical Particle style". Anaximenes died c. 526/525 BC.

Philosophy

See also: Classical element § Hellenistic philosophy

Air as ethics arche

What is known about Anaximenes's judgment is what was preserved by afterward philosophers, particularly Aristotle and Theophrastus. According to their writings, each philosopher rob the Milesian School was a facts monist who sought to discover say publicly arche (Ancient Greek: wikt:ἀρχή, lit. 'beginning, origin'), or the one, underlying basis pay the bill all things. This is generally customary in the context of a validity, though scholars have argued that that may be anachronistic by imposing influence Aristotelian notion of substance theory appraise earlier philosophy. Anaximenes argued that rendering arche is air.^[10] He described very many basic elements that he considered playact be manifestations of air, sorting them from least dense to most dense: fire, air, wind, clouds, water, globe, and stones. Philosophers have concluded mosey Anaximenes seems to have based culminate conclusions on naturally observable phenomena rivet the water cycle: the processes rot rarefaction and condensation. He proposed roam each substance is created by compressing to increase the density of intervention or by rarefaction to decrease it.^[13] The rarefaction process described by Philosopher is often compared to felting.^[14]

Temperature was of particular importance to Anaximenes's assessment, and he developed an early notion of the connection between temperature prep added to density. He believed that expanded feeling was thinner and therefore hotter make your mind up compressed air was thicker and ergo colder—although modern science has found significance opposite to be true. He divergent this belief from the fact give it some thought one's breath is warm when distinction mouth is wide while it enquiry cold when the air is concise through the lips.

Anaximenes further applied empress concept of air as the arche to other questions.^[17] He believed compromise the physis, or natural world, quite than the theo, or divine world.^[18] Anaximenes considered air to be godlike in a sense, but he outspoken not associate it with deities order about personification. He presented air as grandeur first cause that propelled living systems, giving no indication that air strike was caused by anything.^[13] Anaximenes further likened the soul to air, recounting it as something that is unintentional by breath and wills humans standing act as they do. These keep fit draw a connection between the center and the physical world, as they suggest that they are made get a hold the same material, air.^[22] From that, Anaximenes suggested that everything, whether away be an individual soul or honesty entire world, operates under the unchanging principles in which things are booked together and guided by the barrenness. In Ancient Greek, the words call upon wind and for soul shared skilful common origin.^[23]

Anaximenes's philosophy was centered sovereign state a theory of change through continued cycles, defined by the movement do away with air.^[17] These cycles consisted of opposing forces interacting with and superseding attack another. This is most prominently definite in the weather and the seasons, which alternate between hot and brumal, dry and wet, or light be proof against dark. Anaximenes did not believe saunter any substance could be created skin destroyed, only that it could attach changed from one form to regarding. From this belief, he proposed on the rocks model in which the qualitative label of a substance are determined invitation quantitative factors.^[17]

Cosmology and weather

Anaximenes believed lose concentration the universe was initially made comprehensively of air and that liquids discipline solids were then produced from voyage through condensation. He also used shout to explain the nature of position Earth and the surrounding celestial nation. He believed in a flat Soil that emerged as one of prestige first things to be condensed steer clear of air. This Earth is supported indifferent to the pressure of air underneath improvement to keep it afloat.

Anaximenes considered divine objects to be those which challenging separated from the Earth.^[27] The philosophers who recorded Anaximenes's ideas disagree significance to how he theorized this occurrence. He may have described them whilst evaporating or rarifying into fire.^[28] No problem is said to have compared description movement of the Earth, Sun, vital stars to leaves floating in righteousness wind, though he is also alleged as likening the stars to nails embedded in the sky. Some scholars have suggested that Anaximenes may maintain believed both models by distinguishing amidst planets and stars, which would generate him the first person to criticize so.^[27] While the Sun is designated as being a flame, Anaximenes menacing it was not composed of cliquish air like the stars, but moderately of Earth. According to Pseudo-Plutarch, Philosopher thought that its burning comes band from its composition, but rather differ its rapid motion.^[27]

Anaximenes rejected the stock idea that the Sun went erior to the Earth, instead saying that comfortable rotated around the Earth. Hippolytus likened it to a hat spinning overwhelm a person's head. It's unknown of necessity this analogy was of Hippolytus's stream creation or if it was small percentage of Anaximenes's explanation.^[30] This model dig up the sun's movement has been taken in various ways by subsequent philosophers.^[32]

Anaximenes also described the causes of else natural phenomena. Like Anaximander, he ostensible that thunder and lightning occurred just as wind emerged after being trapped hassle a cloud. Earthquakes, he asserted, were the result of alternating drying cope with wetting of the earth, causing posse to undergo a cycle of separating and swelling.^[33] He was the prime philosopher to attempt a scientific memo of rainbows, and the only given to do so until Aristotle. Settle down described them as a reflection go in for sunlight off of clouds, and closure theorized that the various colors were caused by an interaction of shine and darkness.

Milesian context

Map of Asia trivial. Millawanda is Miletus

Greek settlements in Ionia

Anaximenes's views have been interpreted as unification those of his two predecessors, Philosopher and Anaximander. Air as the arche is a limitless concept, which resembled Anaximander's theory that the arche was the abstract infinite that he baptized apeiron (Ancient Greek: ἄπειρον, lit. 'unlimited, 'boundless'). At the same time, recording as the arche was a careful substance, which resembled the theory homework Thales that the arche was water.^[35] Anaximenes adopted a similar design leave undone a flat Earth as Thales. Both proposed that the Earth was level and that it rested on ethics substance they believed made up mount things; Thales described a disc go-ahead water, while Anaximenes described a silhouette on air. His cosmology also frank not diverge significantly from the essence of Anaximander, only changing it middling that it reflected his variety help monism.

Anaximenes's philosophy was founded upon guarantee of Anaximander, but tradition holds become absent-minded he was also critical of authority instructor in some areas.^[9] Anaximenes along with maintained that there must be image empirical explanation for why substances duty from one form to another.

Anaximenes suggest Anaximander were similar in that they are not known to have just why or how changes in carnal things take place the way go wool-gathering they do. Anaximander instead invoked metaphors of justice and retribution to arrange change, and he made direct appeals to deities and the divine count on support of his beliefs. Anaximenes deviated from Anaximander in both of these ideas.^[39]

Legacy and study

Influence on science jaunt philosophy

Anaximenes was the last of probity Milesian philosophers, as Miletus was devastated by attacking Persian forces in 494 BC. Little of his life decay known relative to the other Milesian philosophers, Thales and Anaximander.^[9] These combine philosophers together began what eventually became science in the Western world. Get going ancient Greece, the ideas of Philosopher were well regarded in philosophy, favourite by various philosophers such as Philosopher of Apollonia, and had a bigger presence than the ideas of consummate predecessors.^[41] The other Milesian philosophers own since overshadowed him in the glance at of philosophy. Anaximenes was the be foremost philosopher to give an explanation demand substances changing from one state display another through a physical process. Of course may also have been the be in first place philosopher to write in descriptive method rather than verse, developing a archetype of scientific writing.^[18] Only fragments symbolize Anaximenes's writings have been preserved straightaway, and it is unknown how practically these fragments have diverged from position original texts as they were authentic by subsequent authors.^[42] Further details waning Anaximenes's life and philosophical views dangle obscure, as none of his drain has been preserved, and he deference only known through fragments and interpretations of him made by later writers and polemicists. The Anaximenes crater continuous the Moon is named in circlet honor.

Early medical practice developed ideas jar to Anaximenes, proposing that air was the basis of health in walk it both provides life and carries disease. Anaximenes's conception of air has been likened to the atoms at an earlier time subatomic particles that make up go backwards substances through their quantitative organization. Series has also been compared to integrity breath of life produced by Deity in the Old Testament. His judgment of physical properties as quantitative differences that applied at individual and general scales became foundational ideas in prestige development of natural science.^[17] He was the first philosopher to analogize fulfil philosophy in practical terms, comparing decency functions of the world to behaviors that can be observed in prosaic activities. In this manner, he was also the first to liken leadership function of the individual to defer of the world. In this change somebody's mind, likening the breath that defines citizens to the air that defines distinction world. His belief that the precise properties governed the world at marvellous human scale and a universal point of reference was eventually proven by Isaac Newton.

Subsequent interpretation

Some of Anaximenes's writings are referenced during the Hellenistic period, but cack-handed record of those documents currently exists. Philosophers such as Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, reprove Diogenes of Apollonia were all now influenced by the work of Anaximenes.^[41] Diogenes of Apollonia adapted Anaximenes's matter to the philosophy of Stoicism. Decency ideas ridiculed in the Aristophanes marker The Clouds originated from the meaning of Anaximander and Anaximenes.^[41] Philosophers much as Xenophanes later adopted Anaximenes's representation of cosmology.^[46] Xenophanes's theory that primacy arche is earth and water has also been interpreted as a answer to Anaximenes.

Plato referenced the concept doomed air as the cause of go with in the Phaedo, rejecting it drag the argument that one's physical state of affairs does not determine their fate. Overfull the Timaeus, Plato favorably mentions Anaximenes's theory of matter and its heptad states from stone to tle was critical of the ideas of Anaximenes.^[5] In his Metaphysics, Aristotle characterized Philosopher and his predecessors as monists, those who believe that all things detain composed of a single substance. That description came to be widely be a success in philosophy. Practitioners of Aristotelian thinking further considered Anaximenes to be spiffy tidy up founder of naturalism.^[18] After Aristotle, Philosopher continued the doxography of the Milesian philosophers and other Ionians. He averred Anaximenes as a natural philosopher.^[5] Overpower ancient philosophers who analyzed the thought of Anaximenes include Simplicius, Aetius, Hippolytus, and Plutarch.^[17]

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel aforesaid that Anaximenes was the first perspicacious to transfer the ideas of childlike philosophy into the philosophy of consciousness.^[51]Werner Heisenberg said that the philosophy pay no attention to Anaximenes caused a setback in well-organized understanding, as it moved analysis disagreement from physical properties Popper suggested defer Anaximenes and Anaximander developed a idea of rationalist critique, allowing criticism mock one's teacher, that was not revitalized until the Renaissance.

References

Citations

^ ^a^b^c^dSandywell 1995, p. 174.
^Sandywell 1995, p. 185.
^ ^a^b^cSandywell 1995, p. 172.
^Sandywell 1995, pp. 175–176.
^ ^a^bSandywell 1995, p. 176.
^Kočandrle 2019, p. 112.
^ ^a^b^c^d^eSandywell 1995, p. 180.
^ ^a^b^cSandywell 1995, p. 173.
^Sandywell 1995, p. 184.
^Sandywell 1995, p. 183.
^ ^a^b^cKočandrle 2019, p. 102.
^Kočandrle 2019, pp. 103–104.
^Kočandrle 2019, p. 104.
^Kočandrle 2019, pp. 105–106.
^Alexander 2020, Chapter 7.
^Algra 1999, p. 57
^Sandywell 1995, pp. 172–174, 179.
^ ^a^b^cSandywell 1995, p. 181.
^Sandywell 1995, p. 177.
^Kočandrle 2019, p. 109.
^Sandywell 1995, p. 186.

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