What is Pheuma and What does it mean to the Philosopher who Introduced it?
During the pre-Socratic era of philosophy, we are introduced to three Milesian philosophers, whom were predominantly concerned with the questions about the nature of nature. The third and last of the Milesian philosophers was Anaximenes, partisan of Anaximander, who conjectured on cosmology, cosmogony, and meteorology.
For Anaximenes, in distinction to Anaximander the source of all things were not “Indefinite-Infinite” also called apeiron. Although for Anaximenes, phuema, air or “the ultimate, pervasive spirit that holds the world together” (Hurley, Sartre, Soccio 66) was a definite factual substance. Anaximenes philosophy says that because of a process called ‘rarefaction’(heat) air becomes fire and fire back to air through its opposite process called condensation(cold).
For Anaximenes, this meant that air was divine and was the cause of life, which enclosed the cosmos(universe), and was in control of the primary conservation of all life entities. “As our souls, being air, hold us together, so breath, and embrace the entire universe”
-Anaximenes (c. 585 BC - 525 BC)
For Anaximenes, this meant that air was divine and was the cause of life, which enclosed the cosmos(universe), and was in control of the primary conservation of all life entities. “As our souls, being air, hold us together, so breath, and embrace the entire universe”
-Anaximenes (c. 585 BC - 525 BC)For Anaximenes, this meant that air was divine and was the cause of life, which enclosed the cosmos(universe), and was in control of the primary conservation of all life entities. “As our souls, being air, hold us together, so breath, and embrace the entire universe”
-Anaximenes (c. 585 BC - 525 BC)