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The Influence of Folk Meteorology in the Anaximander Fragment

The Influence of Folk Meteorology in the Anaximander Fragment The Influence of Folk Meteorology in the Anaximander Fragment Cameron Shelley Introduction No scholars doubt that the pre-Socratic philosophers, especially the Milesians, were concerned with meteorology. Their works abound with accounts of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, meteorites, waterspouts, whirlwinds, and so on. Through examination of the fragments of the pre-Socratics, we can trace this interest in meteorology from each philosopher to his predecessors right back to Anaxi- mander. Thales might at first seem to be the most obvious candidate as the man who introduced meteorology into philosophy, but Kirk et al. argue persuasively that Thales was more interested in near-eastern mythology. Thus, we must take Anaximander, Thales’s protégé, to be the philosopher who made meteorology a topic of philosophical interest. This situation leaves us with an obvious question: where did Anaximander come by his interest and ideas about meteorology if not from Thales? Modern scholarship unanimously points to the Greek mythological tradition of Anaxi- mander’s time as recorded primarily by Homer and Hesiod. Gilbert confidently asserts that any inquiry into the origin of Greek meteorology must begin with the stories recorded by these poets, and modern scholars generally echo this opin- ion. Kahn notes that in classical Athens the http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of the History of Ideas University of Pennsylvania Press

The Influence of Folk Meteorology in the Anaximander Fragment

Journal of the History of Ideas , Volume 61 (1) – Jan 1, 2001

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Publisher
University of Pennsylvania Press
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 The Journal of the History of Ideas, Inc.
ISSN
1086-3222

Abstract

The Influence of Folk Meteorology in the Anaximander Fragment Cameron Shelley Introduction No scholars doubt that the pre-Socratic philosophers, especially the Milesians, were concerned with meteorology. Their works abound with accounts of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, meteorites, waterspouts, whirlwinds, and so on. Through examination of the fragments of the pre-Socratics, we can trace this interest in meteorology from each philosopher to his predecessors right back to Anaxi- mander. Thales might at first seem to be the most obvious candidate as the man who introduced meteorology into philosophy, but Kirk et al. argue persuasively that Thales was more interested in near-eastern mythology. Thus, we must take Anaximander, Thales’s protégé, to be the philosopher who made meteorology a topic of philosophical interest. This situation leaves us with an obvious question: where did Anaximander come by his interest and ideas about meteorology if not from Thales? Modern scholarship unanimously points to the Greek mythological tradition of Anaxi- mander’s time as recorded primarily by Homer and Hesiod. Gilbert confidently asserts that any inquiry into the origin of Greek meteorology must begin with the stories recorded by these poets, and modern scholars generally echo this opin- ion. Kahn notes that in classical Athens the

Journal

Journal of the History of IdeasUniversity of Pennsylvania Press

Published: Jan 1, 2001

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