Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist and best-selling author, teams up with award-winning historian Tom Holland to discuss Anaximander, the groundbreaking ancient Greek philosopher. They delve into how Anaximander's ideas challenged divine explanations of the cosmos, paving the way for naturalistic science. The conversation touches on his revolutionary concepts that influenced future scientific inquiry and the evolution of philosophical thought. Rovelli and Holland also explore the vibrant intellectual climate of ancient Ionia as a cradle of enlightenment and innovation.
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insights INSIGHT
Anaximander's Importance
Anaximander, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, is a towering figure in Western intellectual history.
He is crucial for developing cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology, and biology.
insights INSIGHT
Anaximander's Era and Location
Anaximander lived in Miletus (modern-day Turkey) during the 6th century BCE.
This was before Classical Greece, a period not often discussed.
insights INSIGHT
Naturalistic Explanations
Anaximander's work marks a radical shift from mythological explanations of nature to naturalistic ones.
He and the Milesian school began explaining phenomena like rain and the cosmos' creation without invoking gods.
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In 'Anaximander', Carlo Rovelli examines the contributions of Anaximander, often considered the first modern scientific thinker. Anaximander's ideas, such as the Earth floating in space and the concept of natural laws, were revolutionary for his time. Rovelli discusses how Anaximander's approach to understanding the world through naturalism and curiosity laid the groundwork for the scientific method. The book also delves into the broader implications of scientific thinking and its relationship with culture and religion.
Carlo Rovelli is one of the world’s best-known scientists. A theoretical physicist, his books have sold over two million copies around the world. He recently came to Intelligence Squared to talk about his favourite scientist, the little-known Greek philosopher Anaximander, whose ideas, articulated over two millennia ago, lay the foundations for cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology, and biology. It's the subject of Rovelli's book, Anaximander: And the Nature of Science, now being published in English for the first time. In conversation with the award-winning historian Tom Holland, Rovelli shows how Anaximander opened up a path that we are still on today: one that requires us to accept the provisional nature of our knowledge and allows us to challenge, rebel against and create new images of our world.
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