Anaximander (611 BCE-546BCE) was a pre-Socratic
Greek philosopher. He lived in Miletus, which was an ancient Greek city of Ionia
near the mouth of the Maender River. Now it is best known as Milet, Turkey.
Anaximander learned the teachings of Thales. He became the second master
in the Milesian school. Anaximander introduced scientific and mathematical
principles into the study of astronomy and geography.
Anaximander also tried to explain the origin of life and the
cosmos. His philosophy states that the earth was covered in water and due to the
heat of the sun, it started to evaporate. Then the first animals came to be on
the dry mud. These animals had skin covered in spines but due to the heat of the
sun fewer spines appear on the animals. Then man evolve from the animals once
the conditions on the earth was suitable for the survival of men on earth.
Anaximander’s attempts to measure the scale of
the heavens, the distances on earth and the maps show to be among the early
Greek works that led to the modern study of trigonometry. This is the most
significant contribution of Anaximander to the field of mathematics.
Greek philosopher. He lived in Miletus, which was an ancient Greek city of Ionia
near the mouth of the Maender River. Now it is best known as Milet, Turkey.
Anaximander learned the teachings of Thales. He became the second master
in the Milesian school. Anaximander introduced scientific and mathematical
principles into the study of astronomy and geography.
Anaximander also tried to explain the origin of life and the
cosmos. His philosophy states that the earth was covered in water and due to the
heat of the sun, it started to evaporate. Then the first animals came to be on
the dry mud. These animals had skin covered in spines but due to the heat of the
sun fewer spines appear on the animals. Then man evolve from the animals once
the conditions on the earth was suitable for the survival of men on earth.
Anaximander’s attempts to measure the scale of
the heavens, the distances on earth and the maps show to be among the early
Greek works that led to the modern study of trigonometry. This is the most
significant contribution of Anaximander to the field of mathematics.
| Although there does not exist any of his original writings, there is knowledge that tells us that his most important writing have been On Nature, On the Fixed Stars, Geometric Surveying, Sphere, Map of Greece, and Map of the World. He tried to give an explanation as to how the universe was created, and how it became to be what it is. According to Anaximander all things in the universe arose from ‘apeiron’,which is better known as the Boundless. Then Aristotle expanded on the idea that the universe was created from the boundless. |