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Anaximander: And the Birth of Science
Over two millennia ago, the prescient insights of Anaximander paved the way for cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology, and biology, setting in motion a new way of seeing the world. His legacy includes the revolutionary ideas that the Earth floats in a void, that animals evolved, that the world can be understood in natural rather than supernatural terms, and that universal laws govern all phenomena. He introduced a new mode of rational thinking with an openness to uncertainty and the progress of knowledge.
In this elegant work, the renowned theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli brings to light the importance of Anaximander's overlooked influence on modern science. He examines Anaximander not from the point of view of a historian or as an expert in Greek philosophy, but as a scientist interested in the deep nature of scientific thinking, which Rovelli locates in the critical and rebellious ability to reimagine the world again and again. Anaximander celebrates the radical lack of certainty that defines the scientific quest for knowledge.
Book Details
- Publisher: Riverhead Books
- Publish Date: Feb 28th, 2023
- Pages: 272
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 7.96in - 5.25in - 0.74in - 0.47lb
- EAN: 9780593542361
- Categories: • History• Ancient - Greece• Philosophy & Social Aspects
About the Author
More books by Carlo Rovelli
What people are saying
"Mr Rovelli’s book… is not a straight biography, as little is known of Anaximander’s life and hardly any of his original writing survives. Instead, it focuses on his revolutionary idea that the best way to uncover nature’s secrets is to question everything."
Recovering @CNN anchor / previously @CNN foreign correspondent in Africa and Europe / @Cambridge_uni alum/ Instagram: @robyncurnow /
Great @ftweekend book review on #Anaximander and the birth of critical thinking by the brilliant @carlorovelli “There are always those who fear the unknown and seek refuge in certainty and consensus.” We need to “accept uncertainty” and “seek new approaches to knowledge” https://t.co/0OX2KkmtsL
The best place to find out what’s new in science – and why it matters.
Ancient philosopher Anaximander's discoveries about rain, wind and the cosmos may make him the true force behind modern science, argues physicist Carlo Rovelli in his newly republished first book https://t.co/HNIGdiQrqI
Praise for this book
"Solid insights into the foundations of science...as usual, Rovelli communicates his ideas with clarity and verve." --Kirkus
"An insightful survey of the scientific contributions of Greek philosopher Anaximander...Rovelli makes the most of the available evidence in building his case that the philosopher's emphasis on natural causes marked a sea change in human thought. This is a masterful overview of a pivotal figure in scientific history." --Publisher's Weekly
"As Rovelli's fans will expect, this book is excellent. It is never less than engaging, and enviably compendious." --The Telegraph (UK)
"Books discovered in drawers by publishers should often have been left there...Anaximander?... Shouldn't he stay in the dusty cabinet too? Absolutely not: Anaximander is a delight and so is this book" --Sunday Times (UK)
"A celebration of the scientific spirit of inquiry and the remarkable achievements of one man more than 2,500 years ago." --Times Literary Supplement (UK)
"A bold and persuasive case that this ancient Greek philosopher scientist was... the founder of critical thinking." --Adam Rutherford, Start the Week
"What [Rovelli] has to say about the Greek philosopher Anaximander from the 6th century BC is fascinating... by the end of the book I was convinced." --Popular Science
What people are saying
"Mr Rovelli’s book… is not a straight biography, as little is known of Anaximander’s life and hardly any of his original writing survives. Instead, it focuses on his revolutionary idea that the best way to uncover nature’s secrets is to question everything."
Recovering @CNN anchor / previously @CNN foreign correspondent in Africa and Europe / @Cambridge_uni alum/ Instagram: @robyncurnow /
Great @ftweekend book review on #Anaximander and the birth of critical thinking by the brilliant @carlorovelli “There are always those who fear the unknown and seek refuge in certainty and consensus.” We need to “accept uncertainty” and “seek new approaches to knowledge” https://t.co/0OX2KkmtsL