Anaxímenes de Mileto.-

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Anaxímenes de Mileto.-

The Air as I arche

Anaximenes puts the air that is an infinite principle as arjé, as the apex of Anaximating; but determined, like Thales water. Air as arche replaces Thales’ water, but at the same time incorporates some of the properties of Anaximander’s Apeiron. In Anaximander, the arche is infinite and indeterminate. For Anaximenes the air, as I arche, is an apex (infinite) but determined.

Anaximenes has probably found in the empirical air a series of properties that would perform better than other elements the functions of arjé.

First of all the invisibility and the infinity of the air. According to news from Hipólito (Ref. I 7, 3), the air “when it is perfect is imperceptible to the eye”. The air is infinite but determined. But the determination of air is more abstract to the senses than that of water: it is invisible like the apex.

Secondly, the air has a divine character (“Anaximenes says that the air is a god”, Aecio, I 7, 13) and is compared to the soul. The air is related since ancient times with the psychic powers (Aecio, I 3, 4): “Just as our soul (yuch ‘) being air keeps us together, so also the breath (pneûma) or air encompasses the entire cosmos”.

The two opposites (hot and cold) that Anaximander extracted from the abrupt ex-Apeiron, Anaximenes builds them through condensation and rarefaction: «the compressed and condensed is cold, and the weird and lax is hot (Plutarch, Frigid cousin, 7, 947 F.

⚡️La Audacia de Aquiles⚡️

El Aire como arjé

Anaxímenes pone como arjé el aire que es un principio infinito, como el ápeiron de Anaximando; pero determinado, como el agua de Tales. El aire como arjé sustituye al agua de Tales, pero a la vez incorpora alguna de las propiedades del ápeiron de Anaximandro. En Anaximandro el arjé es infinito e indeterminado. Para Anaxímenes el aire, como arjé, es un ápeiron (infinito) pero determinado.

Probablemente Anaxímenes haya encontrado  en el aire empírico una serie de propiedades que desempeñarían mejor que otros elementos las funciones de arjé.

En primer lugar la invisibilidad y la infinitud del aire. Según noticia de Hipólito (Ref. I 7, 3) el aire “cuando es perfecto es imperceptible a la vista”. El aire es infinito pero determinado. Pero la determinación del aire es más abstracta a los sentidos que la del agua: es invisible como el ápeiron.

En segundo lugar…

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