ANAXIMANDER

, a very celebrated Greek philosopher, was born at Miletus in the 42d olympiad; for, according to Apollodorus, he was 64 years of age in the 2d year of the 58th olympiad. He was one of the first who publicly taught philosophy, and wrote upon philosophical subjects. He was the kinsman, companion, and disciple of Thales. He wrote also upon the sphere and geometry, &c. And he carried his researches into nature very far, for the time in which he lived. It is said that he discovered the obliquity of the zodiac; that he first published a geographical table; that he invented the gnomon, and set up the first sun-dial in an open place at Lacedæmon. He taught, that infinity of things was the principal and universal element; that this infinite always preserved its unity, but that its parts underwent changes; that all things came from it; and that all were about to return to it. By this obscure and indeterminate principle he probably meant the chaos of other philosophers. He held that the worlds are insinite; that the stars are composed of air and sire, which are carried about in their spheres, and that these spheres are gods; and that the earth is placed in the midst of the universe, as in a common centre. Farther, that insinite worlds were the produce of infinity; and that corruption proceeded from separation.

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Entry taken from A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary, by Charles Hutton, 1796.

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ANALYTIC
ANALYTICS
ANAMORPHOSIS
ANAPHORA
ANAXAGORAS
* ANAXIMANDER
ANAXIMENES
ANDERSON (Alexander)
ANDROGYNOUS
ANDROMEDA
ANEMOMETER