Anaximander

Anaximander
Auncient Roman mosaic frae Johannisstraße, Trier, datin tae the early third century AD, shawin Anaximander haudin a sundial
Born	c. 611 BC
Dee'd	c. 546 BC
Era	Pre-Socratic filosofie
Region	Wastren Filosofie
Schuil	Ionian 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
Influences Thales o Miletus
Influenced Aw pre-socratic filosofie, in pairticular: Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Democritus, Greek astronomy

Anaximander (Greek: Ἀναξίμανδρος Anaximandros; c. 610 – c. 546 BC) wis a pre-Socratic Greek filosopher who lived in Miletus, 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.

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 Accordin tae available historical documents, he is the first filosofer kent tae hae written doun his studies, awtho anerly ane fragment o his wark remeens.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. 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.