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Anaximander was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Miletus, a city of Ionia. He belonged to the Milesian school and learned the teachings of his master Thales. He succeeded Thales and became the second master of that school, where he counted Anaximenes and, arguably, Pythagoras amongst his pupils.
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science · Ancient Greek philosopher (c. 610 – c. 546 BC) · philosopher · astronomer · mathematician · geographer · physicist · writer · also Anaximander, Anaximander of Miletus
Born 620 BC · Died 547 BC · Q42458
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If Thales had been right in saying that water was the fundamental reality, it would not be easy to see how anything else could ever have existed. One side of the opposition, the cold and moist, would have had its way unchecked, and the warm and dry would have been driven from the field long ago. We must, then, have something not itself one of the warring opposites, something more primitive, out of which they arise, and into which they once more pass away.
That Anaximander called this something by the name of Φύσις is the natural interpretation of what Theophrastos says; the current statement that the term ἀρχή was introduced by him appears to be due to a misunderstanding.
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“If Thales had been right in saying that water was the fundamental reality, it would not be easy to see how anything else could ever have existed. One side of the opposition, the cold and moist, would have had its way unchecked, and the warm and dry would have been driven from the field long ago. We must, then, have something not itself one of the warring opposites, something more primitive, out of which they arise, and into which they once more pass away.”
“That Anaximander called this something by the name of Φύσις is the natural interpretation of what Theophrastos says; the current statement that the term ἀρχή was introduced by him appears to be due to a misunderstanding.”
JSTOR Daily: Anaximander in Context: New Studies in the Origins of Greek Philosophy
JSTOR Daily: Anaximander and the Architects: The Contributions of Egyptian and Greek Architectural Technologies to the Origins of Greek Philosophy
New Scientist: Anaximander review: Did Anaximander create science, asks Carlo Rovelli
The Financial Times: Anaximander — Carlo Rovelli on the birth of critical thinking
The Daily Telegraph: Anaximander by Carlo Rovelli review: meet the forgotten father of science
The Guardian: Anaximander and the Nature of Science by Carlo Rovelli review – the ancient master of the universe
The Economist: Anaximander is a hero in the development of scientific thinking
Publishers Weekly: Anaximander: And the Birth of Science
Published “Testimonia, Part 3: Reception (R)” in Digital Loeb Classical Library.
Published “Testimonia, Part 1: Person (P)” in Digital Loeb Classical Library.
Published “Testimonia, Part 2: Doctrine (D)” in Digital Loeb Classical Library.
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