Thales is to water; Anaximenes is to _________.Group of answer choicesairboundlessfirewater

To solve the analogy "Thales is to water; Anaximenes is to _________", we need to identify the primary substance that Anaximenes proposed as the fundamental principle of the universe, similar to how Thales proposed that water is the fundamental substance.

Understanding the Philosophical Context

1. Thales: He believed that water is the originating principle of nature, which means he regarded it as the fundamental substance of everything.

2. Anaximenes: He was a pupil of Anaximander and offered a different view, proposing that air is the fundamental substance from which everything else originates. Anaximenes argued that everything was formed from air, which could become denser or rarer to form different materials.

Analysis of Options

• Air: This aligns with Anaximenes' philosophy.
• Boundless: This does not specifically relate to Anaximenes.
• Fire: Although fire was considered an important element by other philosophers, it was not the primary substance attributed to Anaximenes.
• Water: This is already associated with Thales.

Conclusion

Given that Anaximenes is closely associated with air as his fundamental element, the correct answer to complete the analogy is:

Final Answer

Air