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Generation

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Apeiron

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Abstract

One of the few occasions Aristotle mentions Anaximander by name appears in a passage from Physics. Here he contrasts Anaximander’s rendition of the process of generation with that of those who explain generation by condensation and rarefaction of the one underlying body. Anaximander, on the contrary, is grouped together with Empedocles and Anaxagoras, because they “separate out (ἐκκρίνεσϑαι) the contrarieties (τὰς ἐναντιότας) from the one in which they are present (ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἐνούσας)”. Simplicius also explicitly mentions Anaximander’s explanation of generation through the separation of opposites at the end of his report and, as we have seen, it features in other quoted texts as well.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Aristotle, Phys. 187a12–23  = DK 12A16 and A9 (partially) = Gr Axr13 = TP2 Ar1. Translation slightly adapted.

  2. 2.

    Simplicius, In Arist. Phys. 150.22–24  = DK 12A9 = Gr Axr14 (only the last sentence) = TP2 Ar169.

  3. 3.

    Simplicius, In Arist. Phys. 24.26–25.1  = DK 13A5 = Gr Axs3 = TP Axr163 and As133.

  4. 4.

    Simplicius, In Arist. Phys. 24.13 = DK 12A9 = Gr Axr9 = TP2 Ar163.

  5. 5.

    See DK at 12A10.

  6. 6.

    Eusebius, Praep. evan. 1.8.2 (quoting Pseudo-Plutarch, Stromateis 2 ) = DK 12A10 = Gr Axr19 = TP2 Ar101.

  7. 7.

    See Kahn (1994, 57).

  8. 8.

    Stobaeus, Anthol. 1.23.1 (= Aetius, Plac. II.11.5 ) = DK 12A17a = TP2 Ar147, not in Gr.

  9. 9.

    Lloyd (1970, 265).

  10. 10.

    Hölscher (1970, 291).

  11. 11.

    Kahn (1994, 163).

  12. 12.

    Hippolytus, Ref. IX.10.8  = DK 22B67 = Gr Hct148.

  13. 13.

    Plutarch, Cons. ad Apoll. 10.106e = DK 22B88 = Gr Hct84.

  14. 14.

    Hippolytus, Ref. IX.10.2  = DK 22B57 = Gr Hct19.

  15. 15.

    Hippolytus, Ref. IX.10.5  = DK 22B61 = Gr Hct79.

  16. 16.

    Hippolytus, Ref. IX.9.5  = DK 22B54 = Gr Hct74.

  17. 17.

    Aristotle, Eth. Nic. 1155b4–6 = DK 22B8 = Gr Hct71.

  18. 18.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.4  = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr20 = TP2 Ar75.

  19. 19.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.7  = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr20 = TP2 Ar75.

  20. 20.

    Aetius, Plac. 3.7.1  = DK 12A24 = Gr Axr32 = TP2 Ar64. See also Pseudo-Galen, De hist. phil. 79.1–2  = TP2 Ar228 (not in DK and Gr), who reads λύσις (releasing) instead of ρύσις (current).

  21. 21.

    See KRS (2007, 129–130).

  22. 22.

    Simplicius, In Arist. Phys. 150.22–24 = DK 12A9 = Gr Axr14 (partially) = TP2 Ar169 and Simplicius, In Arist. Phys. 24.13 = DK 12A9 = Gr Axr9 = TP2 Ar163.

  23. 23.

    DK 59B2 = Gr Axg11.

  24. 24.

    See LSJ s.v. ἀποκρίνω A2 and ἐκκρίνω A4.

  25. 25.

    Pseudo-Plutarch, Strom. 2  = DK 12A10 = Gr Axr19 = TP2 Ar101.

  26. 26.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.2 = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr10 = TP2 Ar75.

  27. 27.

    Although the surviving texts are silent on the mechanism of the motions of celestial bodies, one could suppose that the entire kinematics of the universe was based on the effect of the air and interactions between moisture on the Earth’s surface and the heat of the Sun. Although we prefer a biologizing explanation of crucial areas of Anaximander’s cosmogony, it is obvious that he uses, especially in his cosmology, also images from other domains (e.g. the wheel, the column drum).

  28. 28.

    KRS (2007, 128): “It is, nevertheless, just possible that what was separated off from the Indefinite in the first stage of Anaximander’s cosmogony was a vortex.”

  29. 29.

    KRS (2007, 128).

  30. 30.

    Kratochvíl (2010, 252–254).

  31. 31.

    Genesis 1.6–8.

  32. 32.

    Cornford (1952, 194–195) and KRS (2007, 34–44).

  33. 33.

    Diodorus, Bibl. hist. I.7.1  = DK 68B5.1; translation KRS.

  34. 34.

    Pseudo-Plutarch, Strom. 2  = DK 12A10 = Gr Axr19 = TP2 Ar101.

  35. 35.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.4  = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr20 = TP2 Ar75. Reading τόπους τινὰς ἀερώδεις with the mss., instead of Diels’ emendation πόρους τινὰς αὐλώδεις.

  36. 36.

    Aetius, Plac. 2.20.1  = DK 12A21 = Gr Axr22 = TP2 Ar57. Translation slightly adapted.

  37. 37.

    Aetius, Plac. 2.25.1  = DK 12A22 = Gr Axr25 = TP2 Ar60. Translation slightly adapted.

  38. 38.

    Turba, Sermo I.38–40  = Gr Axr29 = TP2 Ar270, not in DK.

  39. 39.

    Aristotle, De gen. et corr. 332a23  = Gr Axr11 = TP2 Ar12, not in DK.

  40. 40.

    Tzetzes, Scholia ad Exegesin in Iliadem II.126  = DK 22B126 = Gr Hct86; translation Graham.

  41. 41.

    See Hippolytus, Ref. 9.10.4  = DK 22B60 = Gr Hct61; Porphyry, in Iliadem Ξ 200  = DK 22B103 = Gr Hct78; Plutarch, Cons. ad Apoll. 10.106e = DK 22B88 = Gr Hct84; Plotinus, Enn. 4.81  = DK 22b84a = Gr Hct82.

  42. 42.

    See Bröcker (1956, 382–384).

  43. 43.

    Aetius, Plac. 3.16.1  = DK 12A27 = Gr Axr36 = TP2 Ar66.

  44. 44.

    Cf. Eusebius, Praep. evan. 1.8.2 (quoting Pseudo-Plutarch, Strom. 2 ) = DK 12A10 = Gr Axr19 = TP2 Ar101.

  45. 45.

    Aristotle, Meteor. 353b6–11 = DK 12A27 = Gr Axr34 = TP2 Ar8.

  46. 46.

    Alexander, In Aristot. Meteorolog. 3.2, 67.3–12  = DK 12A27 = Gr Axr35 = TP2 Ar84; Also see Aetius, Plac. 3.16.1  = DK 12A27 = TP2 Ar66 = Gr Axr36.

  47. 47.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.7  = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr20 = TP2 Ar75, translation slightly adapted. In TP2 the words τῆς ἀτμίδος are placed between angular brackets, without any explanation.

  48. 48.

    Aetius, Plac. 3.7.1 = DK 12A24 = Gr Axr32 = TP2 Ar64. See also Pseudo-Galen, De hist. phil. 79.1–2 = TP2 Ar228, who reads λύσις (releasing) instead of ρύσις (current).

  49. 49.

    Turba, Sermo I.38–40  = Gr Axr33 = TP2 Ar270, not in DK.

  50. 50.

    Alexander, In Aristot. Meteorolog. 3.2, 73.14–22  = TP2 Ar85, not in DK and Gr; our translation. Perhaps some of this process is also behind Xenophanes’ conception of the celestial bodies being generated from clouds, or being incandescent clouds. Cf. Plutarch, Strom. 4  = DK 21A32 = Gr Xns58; Aetius, Plac. 2.13.14  = DK 21A38 = Gr Xns60 (referring abusively to DK 21A8); idem 2.20.3 = DK 21A40 = Gr Xns61; idem 2.25.4 . = DK 21A43 = Gr Xns67; idem 3.2.11  = DK 21A44 = Gr Xns70.

  51. 51.

    Aetius, Plac. 3.3 = DK 12A23 = Gr. Axr30 = TP2 Ar63, our translation. Graham translates: “the separation against the dark cloud (produces) the flash”. Wöhrle has: “der Einschnitt im Kontrast zur Dunkelheit der Wolke”. Conche (1991, 200), translates: “par contraste avec la noirceur du nuage, la déchirure offre l’aspect d’une lueur éclatante”.

  52. 52.

    Turba, Sermo I.38–40  = Gr Axr33 = TP2 Ar270.

  53. 53.

    Aetius, Plac. 5.19.4  = DK 12A30 = Gr Axr37 = TP2 Ar67.

  54. 54.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.6 = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr20 = TP2 Ar75.

  55. 55.

    Censorinus, De die nat. 4.7  = DK 12A30 = Gr Axr38 = TP2 Ar90.

  56. 56.

    Plutarch, Symposium 730e  = DK 12A30 = Gr Axr39 = TP2 Ar45.

  57. 57.

    Aristotle, Phys. 203b7  = DK 12A15 = Gr Axr16 = TP2 Ar2; translation adapted.

  58. 58.

    Hippolytus, Ref. I.6.1  = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr10 = TP2 Ar75.

  59. 59.

    Aetius, Plac. V.19.4  = DK 12A30 = Gr Axr37 = TP2 Ar67.

  60. 60.

    Pseudo-Plutarch, Strom. 2  = DK 12A10 = Gr Axr19 = TP2 Ar101.

  61. 61.

    Hippolytus, Ref. 1.6.4  = DK 12A11 = Gr Axr20 = TP2 Ar75.

  62. 62.

    Aetius, Plac. III.3.1  = DK 12A23 = Gr Axr30 = TP2 Ar63.

  63. 63.

    Cf. Kahn (1994, 112).

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  1. Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic

    Radim Kočandrle

  2. Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic

    Dirk L. Couprie

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  1. Radim Kočandrle
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Correspondence to Radim Kočandrle .

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Kočandrle, R., Couprie, D.L. (2017). Generation. In: Apeiron . SpringerBriefs in Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49754-9_7

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