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Anaximander

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Anaximander
Auncient Roman mosaic frae Johannisstraße, Trier, datin tae the early third century AD, shawin Anaximander haudin a sundial[1]
Bornc. 611 BC
Dee'dc. 546 BC
EraPre-Socratic filosofie
RegionWastren Filosofie
SchuilIonian Filosofie, Milesian schuil, Naturalism
Main interests
Metapheesics, astronomy, geometry, geografie
Notable ideas
The apeiron is the arche
Yird floats unsupportit
Mechanical model o the sky
Watter o rain frae evaporation

Anaximander (Greek: Ἀναξίμανδρος Anaximandros; c. 610 – c. 546 BC) wis a pre-Socratic Greek filosopher who lived in Miletus,[2] a ceety o Ionia; Milet in modren Turkey. He belanged tae the Milesian school an learned the teachins o his master Thales. He succeedit Thales an becam the seicont master o that schuil whaur he coontit Anaximenes an, airgieably, Pythagoras amangst his pupils.[3]

Little o his life an wark is kent the day. Accordin tae available historical documents, he is the first filosofer kent tae hae written doun his studies,[4] awtho anerly ane fragment o his wark remeens. Fragmentary testimonies foond in documents efter his daith provide a portrait o the man.

He wis an early proponent o science an tried tae observe an explain different aspects o the universe, wi a pairteecular interest in its oreegins, claimin that naitur is ruled bi laws, juist lik human societies, an onything that disturbs the balance o naitur daes nae last lang.[5] Lik mony thinkers o his time, Anaximander's filosofie includit contributions tae mony disciplines. In astronomy, he attemptit tae descrive the mechanics o celestial bouks in relation tae the Yird. In pheesics, his postulation that the indefinite (or apeiron) wis the soorce o aw things led Greek filosofie tae a new level o conceptual abstraction. His knawledge o geometry alloued him tae introduce the gnomon in Greece. He creatit a map o the warld that contreibutit greatly tae the advancement o geografie. He wis an aw involved in the politics o Miletus an wis sent as a leader tae ane o its colonies.

References

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  1. Zühmer, T. H. "Roman Mosaic Depicting Anaximander with Sundial". Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. New York University.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Anaximander" in Chambers's Encyclopædia. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, p. 403.
  3. Porphyry, Life of Pythagoras Anaximander.
  4. Themistius, Oratio 36, §317
  5. Park, David (2005) The Grand Contraption, Princeton University Press ISBN 0-691-12133-8