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Anaximander

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Philosopher and scientist; b. *610 BC* (Miletus, Ionia), d. *546/545 BC*

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Anaximander, believed to have been a student of Thales, is regarded by
many as the founder of European astronomy. He is reported to have
written many books on astronomy, geography and cosmology (the philosophy
of the world), although only two sentences of his works survived. He
also prepared a map of the known world. Text fragments relating to him are:

* "Immortal and indestructible,"
* "surrounds all and directs all;" and
* "(To that they return when they are destroyed) of necessity; for
he says that they suffer punishment and give satisfaction to one
another for injustice." 

The second sentence applies a human metaphor, in which injustices are
penalized, to observed changes in the state of substances. The idea is
that no property, for example hot or cold, can prevail forever;
long-term balance requires that it gives way or "gives satisfaction" to
its opposite.

Anaximander's basic position was that variety is based on unity. He
rejected Thales idea of an Earth floating on water or supported by other
means. In his view the Earth remained at the centre of the universe
because it had no reason to move in any direction.

Later philosophers held Anaximander in high esteem, even though some
thought that his language was "rather poetical":

"Among those who say that the first principle is one and movable and
infinite, is Anaximandros of Miletos, son of Praxiades, pupil and
successor of Thales. He said that the first principle and element of all
things is infinite, and he was the first to apply this word to the first
principle; and he says that it is neither water nor any other one of the
things called elements, but the infinite is something of a different
nature, from which came all the heavens and the worlds in them; and from
what source things arise, to that they return of necessity when they are
destroyed; for he says that they suffer punishment and give satisfaction
to one another for injustice according to the order of time, putting it
in rather poetical language. Evidently when he sees the four elements
changing into one another, he does not deem it right to make any one of
these the underlying substance, but something else besides them. And he
does not think that things come into being by change in the nature of
the element, but by the separation of the opposites which the eternal
motion causes." (Theophrastos, Dox. 477 Simpl. Phys. 6 r; 24, 26.)

One consequence of the infinite being governed by the sequence of
punishment and satisfaction is eternal birth and destruction.
Anaximander also came to conclusions about the evolution of life forms
well ahead of his time:

"Anaximandros of Miletos, son of Praxiades, says that the first
principle of things is the infinite; for from this all things come, and
all things perish and return to this. Accordingly, an infinite number of
worlds have been generated and have perished again and returned to their
source. So he calls it infinite, in order that the generation which
takes place may not lessen it." (Aet. Plac. i. 3: Dox. 277.)

"Wherefore they (the Syrians) reverence the fish as of the same origin
and the same family as man, holding a more reasonable philosophy than
that of Anaximandros; for he declares, not that fishes and men were
generated at the same time, but that at first men were generated in the
form of fishes, and that growing up as sharks do till they were able to
help themselves, they then came forth on the dry ground." (Plut. Symp.
viii. 730 E.) /(1)/

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Reference

The translations of the fragments and texts about Anaximander are taken from

Arthur Fairbanks, ed. and trans. (1898) Anaximander, Fragments and
Commentary, in: /The First Philosophers of Greece/, London: K. Paul,
Trench, Trubner, 8-16.
(quoted from http://history.hanover.edu/texts/presoc/anaximan.htm)

Image: public domain /(Wikipedia)/

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