In the sixth century BC, Anaximander of Miletus, an associate of Thales, initiated Western philosophy and science with a theory of how the world order arose, heavens and earth formed, and human beings came into existence. This book makes available a work that is of value for students in classics, philosophy, literature, and the history of science.

Through criticism and analysis of ancient traditions, Kahn reconstructs the pattern of Anaximander’s thought using historical methods akin to the reconstructive techniques of comparative linguists.