Editing Anaxarchus (section)

==Philosophy==
Very little is known about his philosophical views. It is thought that he represents a link between the [[atomism]] of [[Democritus]], and the [[Pyrrhonism|skepticism]] of his own apprentice [[Pyrrho]]. He also shares ethical traits with the [[Cynicism (philosophy)|Cynic]] and [[Cyrenaics|Cyrenaic]] schools.<ref name=Pajón>Pajón Leyra, I. (2019). ''Anaxarco de Abdera: Adiaphoria y criterio de verdad en el umbral de la época helenística''. Archai 27</ref>

Anaxarchus is said to have studied under Diogenes of Smyrna, who in turn studied under [[Metrodorus of Chios]], who used to declare that he knew nothing, not even the fact that he knew nothing.<ref name="laertius58"/> According to [[Sextus Empiricus]], Anaxarchus "compared existing things to a scene-painting and supposed them to resemble the impressions experienced in sleep or madness."<ref>Sextus Empiricus, ''Against the Logicians'', 7.88.</ref> It was under the influence of Anaxarchus that Pyrrho is said to have adopted "a most noble philosophy,&nbsp;.&nbsp;.&nbsp;. taking the form of agnosticism and suspension of judgement."<ref>Diogenes Laertius, ''Lives'', ix. 61</ref> Anaxarchus is said to have praised Pyrrho's "indifference and sang-froid."<ref>Diogenes Laertius, ''Lives'', ix. 63</ref> He is said to have possessed "fortitude and contentment in life," which earned him the epithet ''eudaimonikos'' ("fortunate").<ref name="laertius60"/>

His skepticism seems to have been pragmatical, postulating that against the uncertainty of existence, the only viable stance is to pursue happiness or ''[[eudaimonia]]'', for which it is necessary to cultivate indifference or ''[[adiaphora]]''. According to him, the effort to differentiate truth from falseness through the senses is both useless and detrimental to happiness.<ref name=Pajón/>

He wrote a work named ''About the Monarchs''. In it, he spouses that knowledge is useless without the ability to know when to speak and what to say in every occasion.<ref name=Pajón/>

[[Plutarch]] reports that he told [[Alexander the Great]] that there was an infinite number of worlds, causing the latter to become dejected because he had not yet conquered even one.<ref>Plutarch's Morals</ref>