Anaximander and Anaximenes Flashcards
(26 cards)
Who were the two major Pre-Socratic thinkers from Miletus after Thales?
Anaximander and Anaximenes.
Why do we have limited information about the earliest Greek philosophers?
Their works were mostly lost, and we rely on later sources like Aristotle, Theophrastus, and late antiquity doxographies.
Who are two of the main ancient sources of information about Pre-Socratic thinkers?
Aristotle and his student Theophrastus.
Why is Theophrastus an important source on Pre-Socratic philosophy?
He collected and interpreted information about early philosophy, preserving ideas through later sources.
How did Aristotle influence our understanding of Pre-Socratic thinkers?
He often reinterpreted their ideas using his own concepts, sometimes distorting their original meanings.
What problem arises with Theophrastus’ writings?
Most of his works are lost, and we access them through later ancient sources.
What are doxographies?
Ancient collections of philosophical doctrines, often presenting Pre-Socratic ideas in a structured but sometimes distorted way.
Which late ancient thinker was particularly careful in reporting Pre-Socratic ideas?
Simplicius, a commentator on Aristotle.
How did Christian Church Fathers view Pre-Socratic thinkers?
With skepticism or disapproval, since they were pagan philosophers.
What is the traditional teacher-student relationship among the Milesian thinkers?
Thales taught Anaximander, who taught Anaximenes.
Why should we be skeptical about ancient claims of teacher-student relationships?
Ancient authors often created these connections whether they were real or not.
What device is Anaximander credited with setting up in Sparta?
A gnomon, a sundial-like instrument.
What significant geographical contribution did Anaximander make?
He produced an early map showing both land and sea.
What is Anaximander’s famous idea about the principle (arche) of all things?
He proposed that everything comes from the ‘apeiron,’ or ‘the infinite/boundless.’
What does the Greek word ‘apeiron’ mean?
‘That which has no limit’ – often translated as infinite, boundless, or indefinite.
How did Anaximander describe cosmic justice?
Elements pay ‘penalty and retribution’ to each other over time for their injustices.
What did Anaximander believe about the origin of the heavenly bodies?
Fire was originally enclosed around the earth like bark, then broke into rings seen as stars and planets.
What was Anaximander’s view on the shape of the Earth?
He thought it was a squat cylinder, with humans living on the flat upper surface.
Why did Anaximander believe the Earth stays in place?
Since it is at the center of the cosmos, there is no reason for it to move in any particular direction.
What was Anaximenes’ main contribution to Pre-Socratic thought?
He proposed that air (not water or the infinite) is the fundamental principle of everything.
How did Anaximenes explain the transformation of elements?
By rarefaction (air becoming fire) and condensation (air becoming wind, then water, then earth).
What did Anaximenes believe about the shape of the Earth?
It is a flat disc, floating on air.
How did Anaximenes describe celestial bodies?
He said they are fiery and float in the heavens like leaves in the wind.
What was Anaximenes’ view of the soul?
He believed the soul is made of air, which sustains life.
