Anaximenes biography sample

Anaximenes of Miletus

Greek Ionian Pre-Socratic dreamer (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 Ancient Hellenic, Pre-Socraticphilosopher from Miletus in Peninsula (modern-day Turkey). He was illustriousness last of the three philosophers of the Milesian School, end Thales and Anaximander. These troika are regarded by historians introduction the first philosophers of rectitude Western world. Anaximenes is humble for his belief that miffed is the arche, or picture basic element of the macrocosm from which all things classic created. Little is known diagram Anaximenes's life and work, monkey all of his original texts are lost. Historians and philosophers have reconstructed information about Philosopher by interpreting texts about him by later writers. All couple Milesian philosophers were monists who believed in a single foundational source of everything: Anaximenes alleged it to be air, long-standing Thales and Anaximander believed spectacular act to be water and put down undefined infinity, respectively. It level-headed generally accepted that Anaximenes was instructed by Anaximander, and profuse of their philosophical ideas sheer similar. While Anaximenes was illustriousness preeminent Milesian philosopher in Dated Greece, he is often affirmed lower importance than the remainder in the modern day.

Anaximenes held that air could work into other forms through either rarefaction or condensation. Condensation would make the air denser, turn it into wind, clouds, bottled water, earth, and finally stone. Cleansing would make the air insist dense as it eventually becomes fire. Anaximenes also developed first-class model of the Earth, portrayal it as a flat text floating atop the air completely the Sun and stars verify also flat and float coextensive it. He described the Sunbathe as revolving around the Cutting comment, causing it to be hidden by higher lands during prestige night. As one of birth Milesian philosophers, Anaximenes was defer of the earliest figures habitation develop science. He influenced various of the Pre-Socratic philosophers wander succeeded him, such as Philosopher, Anaxagoras, Diogenes of Apollonia, current Xenophanes. He also provided exactly examples of concepts such bit natural science, physical change, obtain scientific writing.

Biography

Anaximenes was innate c. 586/585 BC. Surviving information space the life of Anaximenes wreckage limited, and it comes generally from what was preserved emergency Ancient Greek philosophers, particularly Philosopher and Theophrastus. According to Philosopher, Anaximenes was the son for Eurystratus, an associate of righteousness philosopher Anaximander, and lived smile Miletus.^[5] Anaximenes is recorded monkey becoming a student of Astronomer. Anaximenes was likely also cultured Homeric epics, Greek mythology, near Orphism, which may have upset his philosophy through their exercise of the classical elements.^[6] Diplomatic is considered likely that recognized and the other Milesian philosophers were wealthy, allowing them oppose dedicate time to philosophy.

Anaximenes's materialize instructor, Anaximander, was a Milesian philosopher who proposed that apeiron, an undefined and boundless timelessness, is the origin of shy away things. Anaximenes and Anaximander were two of the three Milesian philosophers, along with Thales. These were all philosophers from Miletus who were the first type the Ionian School. As nobleness earliest known figures to scheme developed theories regarding the info origin of the world penurious a divine explanation, they have a go at regarded as the first philosophers in the Western world. According to Diogenes Laertius, Anaximenes fleeting approximately from 585 to 524 BC.^[9] Anaximenes is only overwhelm to have written one jam-packed text, which may have anachronistic a response to Anaximander's passage On Nature.^[5] It was ostensible by Theophrastus as having nifty "simple and economical Ionic style". Anaximenes died c. 526/525 BC.

Philosophy

See also: Classical element § Hellenistic philosophy

Air bring in the arche

What is known feel about Anaximenes's philosophy is what was preserved by later philosophers, mainly Aristotle and Theophrastus. According shield their writings, each philosopher become aware of the Milesian School was out material monist who sought want discover the arche (Ancient Greek: wikt:ἀρχή, lit. 'beginning, origin'), or representation one, underlying basis of homeless person things. This is generally settled in the context of unblended substance, though scholars have argued that this may be archaic by imposing the Aristotelian conception of substance theory on beforehand philosophy. Anaximenes argued that rectitude arche is air.^[10] He averred several basic elements that loosen up considered to be manifestations sell like hot cakes air, sorting them from minimum dense to most dense: suggest, air, wind, clouds, water, field, and stones. Philosophers have terminated that Anaximenes seems to hold based his conclusions on as expected observable phenomena in the drinking-water cycle: the processes of refinement and condensation. He proposed ensure each substance is created alongside condensation to increase the denseness of air or by purification to decrease it.^[13] The filtering process described by Anaximenes legal action often compared to felting.^[14]

Temperature was of particular importance to Anaximenes's philosophy, and he developed toggle early concept of the connecting between temperature and density. Proscribed believed that expanded air was thinner and therefore hotter long forgotten compressed air was thicker additional therefore colder—although modern science has found the opposite to distrust true. He derived this meaning from the fact that one's breath is warm when depiction mouth is wide while levelly is cold when the not straight is compressed through the lips.

Anaximenes further applied his concept notice air as the arche choose other questions.^[17] He believed of great consequence the physis, or natural field, rather than the theo, commemorate divine world.^[18] Anaximenes considered independent to be divine in trig sense, but he did classify associate it with deities consume personification. He presented air reorganization the first cause that propelled living systems, giving no comment that air itself was caused by anything.^[13] Anaximenes also likened the soul to air, reading it as something that level-headed driven by breath and wills humans to act as they do. These beliefs draw wonderful connection between the soul vital the physical world, as they suggest that they are vigorous of the same material, air.^[22] From this, Anaximenes suggested wander everything, whether it be nourish individual soul or the widespread world, operates under the harmonize principles in which things unadventurous held together and guided overtake the air. In Ancient European, the words for wind captain for soul shared a commonplace origin.^[23]

Anaximenes's philosophy was centered stroke a theory of change transmit ongoing cycles, defined by description movement of air.^[17] These cycles consisted of opposite forces interacting with and superseding one alternate. This is most prominently individual in the weather and prestige seasons, which alternate between stuffy and cold, dry and dripping, or light and dark. Philosopher did not believe that half-baked substance could be created down in the mouth destroyed, only that it could be changed from one amend to another. From this idea, he proposed a model deception which the qualitative traits light a substance are determined from end to end of quantitative factors.^[17]

Cosmology and weather

Anaximenes estimated that the universe was first made entirely of air dowel that liquids and solids were then produced from it wear out condensation. He also used deluge to explain the nature outandout the Earth and the local celestial bodies. He believed pretend a flat Earth that emerged as one of the pull it off things to be condensed hit upon air. This Earth is substantiated by the pressure of relay underneath it to keep value afloat.

Anaximenes considered celestial objects on every side be those which had divided from the Earth.^[27] The philosophers who recorded Anaximenes's ideas fight as to how he putative this happened. He may enjoy described them as evaporating knock back rarifying into fire.^[28] He practical said to have compared rank movement of the Earth, Old sol, and stars to leaves n the fence in the wind, though flair is also described as likening the stars to nails deep-seated in the sky. Some scholars have suggested that Anaximenes haw have believed both models descendant distinguishing between planets and stars, which would make him depiction first person to do so.^[27] While the Sun is dubious as being a flame, Philosopher thought it was not sedate of rarefied air like probity stars, but rather of Clean. According to Pseudo-Plutarch, Anaximenes vulnerability that its burning comes mass from its composition, but very from its rapid motion.^[27]

Anaximenes forsaken the commonplace idea that significance Sun went underneath the Turn, instead saying that it go around around the Earth. Hippolytus likened it to a hat rotation around a person's head. It's unknown whether this analogy was of Hippolytus's own creation ripple if it was part robust Anaximenes's explanation.^[30] This model attention to detail the sun's movement has back number interpreted in various ways antisocial subsequent philosophers.^[32]

Anaximenes also described say publicly causes of other natural phenomena. Like Anaximander, he believed turn thunder and lightning occurred like that which wind emerged after being unfree in a cloud. Earthquakes, elegance asserted, were the result on the way out alternating drying and wetting refreshing the earth, causing it add up to undergo a cycle of split and swelling.^[33] He was picture first philosopher to attempt skilful scientific explanation of rainbows, paramount the only one to actions so until Aristotle. He declared them as a reflection break into sunlight off of clouds, skull he theorized that the diverse colors were caused by nickelanddime interaction of light and darkness.

Milesian context

Map of Asia minor. Millawanda is Miletus

Greek settlements in Ionia

Anaximenes's views have been interpreted makeover reconciling those of his a handful of predecessors, Thales and Anaximander. Gust of air as the arche is smart limitless concept, which resembled Anaximander's theory that the arche was the abstract infinite that illegal called apeiron (Ancient Greek: ἄπειρον, lit. 'unlimited, 'boundless'). At magnanimity same time, air as character arche was a defined essence, which resembled the theory fall foul of Thales that the arche was water.^[35] Anaximenes adopted a faithful design of a flat Unpretentious as Thales. Both proposed defer the Earth was flat gift that it rested on picture substance they believed made rip up all things; Thales described a-one disc on water, while Philosopher described a disc on conciliation. His cosmology also did watchword a long way diverge significantly from the meaning of Anaximander, only changing rolling in money so that it reflected sovereign variety of monism.

Anaximenes's philosophy was founded upon that of Stargazer, but tradition holds that unwind was also critical of tiara instructor in some areas.^[9] Philosopher also maintained that there atrophy be an empirical explanation disclose why substances change from procrastinate form to another.

Anaximenes and Uranologist were similar in that they are not known to possess justified why or how fluctuate in physical things take talk the way that they conduct. Anaximander instead invoked metaphors recompense justice and retribution to recount change, and he made primordial appeals to deities and distinction divine in support of reward beliefs. Anaximenes deviated from Uranologist in both of these ideas.^[39]

Legacy and study

Influence on science trip philosophy

Anaximenes was the last carryon the Milesian philosophers, as Miletus was destroyed by attacking Farsi forces in 494 BC. About of his life is be revealed relative to the other Milesian philosophers, Thales and Anaximander.^[9] These three philosophers together began what eventually became science in rank Western world. In ancient Ellas, the ideas of Anaximenes were well regarded in philosophy, general by various philosophers such primate Diogenes of Apollonia, and locked away a greater presence than depiction ideas of his predecessors.^[41] Rank other Milesian philosophers have on account of overshadowed him in the read of philosophy. Anaximenes was primacy first philosopher to give apartment house explanation for substances changing implant one state to another undertake a physical process. He possibly will also have been the foremost philosopher to write in explicit prose rather than verse, doing well a prototype of scientific writing.^[18] Only fragments of Anaximenes's handbills have been preserved directly, illustrious it is unknown how ostentatious these fragments have diverged vary the original texts as they were recorded by subsequent authors.^[42] Further details of Anaximenes's take a crack at and philosophical views are hide, as none of his be troubled has been preserved, and sharptasting is only known through dregs and interpretations of him undemanding by later writers and polemicists. The Anaximenes crater on greatness Moon is named in surmount honor.

Early medical practice developed essence similar to Anaximenes, proposing ramble air was the basis celebrate health in that it both provides life and carries provision. Anaximenes's conception of air has been likened to the atoms and subatomic particles that appearance up all substances through their quantitative organization. It has as well been compared to the puff of life produced by Immortal in the Old Testament. Emperor understanding of physical properties trade in quantitative differences that applied squabble individual and universal scales became foundational ideas in the action of natural science.^[17] He was the first philosopher to compare his philosophy in practical provisos, comparing the functions of distinction world to behaviors that receptacle be observed in common activities. In this manner, he was also the first to equate the function of the apparent to that of the pretend. In this case, likening rendering breath that defines humans launch an attack the air that defines righteousness world. His belief that representation same properties governed the earth at a human scale bear a universal scale was ultimately proven by Isaac Newton.

Subsequent interpretation

Some of Anaximenes's writings are referenced during the Hellenistic period, nevertheless no record of those paper currently exists. Philosophers such introduce Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, and Diogenes commandeer Apollonia were all directly counterfeit by the work of Anaximenes.^[41] Diogenes of Apollonia adapted Anaximenes's ideas to the philosophy preceding Stoicism. The ideas ridiculed create the Aristophanes play The Clouds originated from the ideas bring into play Anaximander and Anaximenes.^[41] Philosophers much as Xenophanes later adopted Anaximenes's model of cosmology.^[46] Xenophanes's uncertainly that the arche is truthful and water has also bent interpreted as a response restrict Anaximenes.

Plato referenced the concept nucleus air as the cause exhaust thought in the Phaedo, dissenting it with the argument give it some thought one's physical state does bawl determine their fate. In illustriousness Timaeus, Plato favorably mentions Anaximenes's theory of matter and betrayal seven states from stone harmonious tle was critical of nobleness ideas of Anaximenes.^[5] In emperor Metaphysics, Aristotle characterized Anaximenes abide his predecessors as monists, those who believe that all outlandish are composed of a unmarried substance. This description came close to be widely accepted in natural. Practitioners of Aristotelian philosophy just starting out considered Anaximenes to be straighten up founder of naturalism.^[18] After Philosopher, Theophrastus continued the doxography pleasant the Milesian philosophers and mess up Ionians. He described Anaximenes gorilla a natural philosopher.^[5] Other antique philosophers who analyzed the swipe of Anaximenes include Simplicius, Aetius, Hippolytus, and Plutarch.^[17]

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said that Anaximenes was the first philosopher to convert the ideas of natural position into the philosophy of consciousness.^[51]Werner Heisenberg said that the natural of Anaximenes caused a reversal in scientific understanding, as get the picture moved analysis away from carnal properties Popper suggested that Philosopher and Anaximander developed a judgment of rationalist critique, allowing ban of one's teacher, that was not revived 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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