Anaximander

And the Birth of Science

By: Carlo Rovelli

Narrated by: Roy McMillan

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

The bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics illuminates the nature of science through the revolutionary ideas of the Greek philosopher Anaximander

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.

* This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF of maps, landmarks, artifacts, and some of the earliest antiquities found and documented from ancient times.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Carlo Rovelli (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“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

“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

Carlo Genius Rovelli

Modern-day sage and master for humanity! I always enjoy everything from Mr Rovelli.
Thank you so much, Roy McMillan, for the great performance!

Rovelli Reads the Universe in a Mere Fragment

Only the briefest fragments of Anaximander’s thoughts survive. Carlo Rovelli reads these and extracts a coherent, poetic worldview that sits squarely at the foundation of scientific thought. Marvelous. I myself had read these fragments before Rovelli’s book. It’s obvious that Anaximander’s move from earth as an abode floating on water, to earth as an abode floating in space (nothing), is profound (all the more so as the move is rationally justified). What is not so obvious, and what Rovelli reveals, is that Anaximander, in his apeiron, introduced the idea that explanations of the world can at once be natural (i.e. not supernatural) and based on entities that are not directly sensible yet otherwise real. This puts Anaximander at the forefront of a tradition that goes on to postulate atoms, quarks, fields (a la Maxwell), etc.

Furthermore, when Anaximander says, “All things originate from one another, and vanish into one another, according to necessity. They give to each other justice, and recompense for injustice, in conformity with the order of time.”, Rovelli realizes this is not mere poetry, but a break away from static, geometric thinking and an anticipation of dynamics. In these and other ways Rovelli cements Anaximander’s place at the birth of science. But this isn’t even the best part of the book. The best part isn’t what Anaximander has to do with science, but what this means for science today.

Since Kuhn, it is common to view science as proceeding, when it can, by dramatic leaps and bounds, as in Einstein’s break from non-relativistic Newtonian gravity-as-instantaneous-force. What Rovelli emphasizes, as a slight corrective to Kuhn, is that although theories like Einstein’s are profound, they represent no complete break from their scientific forebears. That is, in this case, although Einstein did realize that there is no absolute reference for simultaneity (profound), he did this by leveraging and preserving notions of relative velocity taken directly from Newton and Galileo, while also leveraging and preserving Maxwell’s notion of the electromagnetic field and its associated wave dynamics. The human brain does not create ex nihilo, as Rovelli reminds us. Science takes the best of what has come before, while specifically rooting out what is in error. This is what Rovelli does for a living, researching gravity and time. Here, he takes time to pay beautiful homage to all that have come before.

Poetry

There is no more romantic author for the layman intellectual than Carlo Rovelli. He should be required reading for all new life that intends to have a voice of impact.

Wide ranging case for a Critical Figure in the Evolution of Science

As a leading Member of the Ionian School of Philosophy in Ancient Greece, Anaximander puts forth the Idea that there were Laws based on necessity showing that physical variables change according to necessity in conformity with the order of Time. The theories of Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and countless others through the Ages evolve following those Basic Laws.

Rovelli takes this case in his simple, accessible, straightforward prose as a taking off point to discuss the importance of Science as the most useful tool we have to understand The World. He spends a lot of time defining and defending the role of Scientific Truth in the face of cultural relativism and even Religious Truth. With a number of anecdotes from History and the theories of other writers, he makes a powerful plea for the Reader to understand Science as an evolving pursuit to overcome uncertainty, not always successful, but alway the best chance our feeble Brains have access to.

Definitely Four Stars. ****

Fascinating

A very interesting read about a scientist that I had never heard of before. Many intriguing connections and concepts.

really good..but

..perhaps 2 chapters too long.
No doubt Rovelli is a brilliant man, and keep in mind History of Science is his side gig!
The first 6 chapters are great stuff and well worth the listen; i'd never heard of Anax'r and his legacy.
He next covers the definition and practice of Science, contrasting Eaatern and Western approaches.
But the last few chapters veer off into speculation about ancient, literally prehistoric times and somewhat longwinded coverage of the religious/secular tension.

Another great book from Rovelli

If you move Carlo Rovelli as I do you will love this book. Roy Mcian great as always

Great book, great narration

Fantastic analysis of the history and impact of Anaximander, and the narration is top notch as well.

Not his best stuff

I love Helgoland by Carlo Rovelli. I can see how it might have been pitched as “Helgoland but with anaximannder”.  in the end, the premise that he puts forth in the beginning, that there is some value to a modern scientist vs. a historian telling the story fails to hold.

Not about presocratics in any significant sense. Further author does not understand philosophy of science.

Rambling exposition of science and the history of knowledge, but falls short of saying anything important