Jak Anaximandros pozoroval vážky
Anaximander Observing Dragonflies

Summary/Abstract: This paper is a discussion of Anaximander of Miletus, born around 610 BCE, is recognized for his work on cosmology, zoogony, and anthropogony—the origins of animals and humans. His biological research, though scantily preserved, suggests that the first creatures emerged in moisture, surrounded by a spiny bark, and later moved to drier land where they survived briefly after the bark cracked. Anaximander's ideas resonate with contemporary science in that fish are considered precursors to humans and terrestrial organisms originated from water. However, unlike Empedocles, he did not incorporate natural selection into his theories. The concept of "breaking of the bark" during the transition from water to land is central to his thought, possibly inspired by observations of aquatic insects like dragonflies or mayflies, which undergo incomplete metamorphosis and emerge on land as adults. Anaximander's student, Anaximenes, further developed the analogy between the world and humans. The philosopher's zoogonic views are not myth or speculation but based on empirical observation, offering a bridge between aquatic and terrestrial life forms.

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