Anaximander's Argument Essay

Scholars from all disciplines have argued for centuries about what causes the things in our world to exist. A contributor to this argument was the Greek philosopher Anaximander. His claim is that the cause of existence is the principle of an infinite nature. Everything we know either is a principle of can be derived from one, but infinity is an exception to this. Furthermore, he claims that an eternal motion is what brought the heavens into being, and that this constant motion is what causes the changes seen in nature. All of this is fueled by the idea that the infinite is a principle beyond what is in the normal scope of our understanding; it is an underlying force that provides the structure to the world.

According to Anaximander, the

His theory is that animals first came from moisture, and were surrounded by prickly barks. These fish began to evolve and became more human-like. He claims that humans grew in the embryos of these fish-like animals, and eventually humans appeared in the present form. While this theory is not exactly biologically accurate, it does support Anaximander’s claim about the first principle, that everything has come from basic elements. He uses similar logic to explain how land formations on Earth were created. At one point, the Earth was completely covered in water, yet over time, the moisture was evaporated in certain places where the animals were able to make themselves home following their departure from the sea. This is caused by winds and revolutions of the Sun and moon. However, this will mean that one day, the entire sea will have evaporated. This proves that there is a constant cycle in existence, keeping nature in order. The world as we know it right now will not exist forever, and it is the idea of the infinite that drives this process forward. There is a constant “recycling” process going on, since everything in existence comes from something already there. Further, the eternal motion causes separation of the basic elements, which leads to their