Anaxagoras, an ancient Greek philosopher born in
Clazomenae, Ionia, in the 5th century (480) BC, is
noted for his significant contributions to early Greek
philosophy. After relocating to Athens, he became a
prominent figure in its intellectual circles,
influencing later philosophers like Plato and
Aristotle. Anaxagoras' life and experiences were
marked by his upbringing in Ionia and his pivotal
move to Athens, where he engaged in philosophical
discussions and made enduring contributions to the
field.
The ability of how to think 24/7
Though external but infinite and self ruled
It encompasses everything
It has the greatest strength and power over all thing
Anaxagoras' philosophy represents an important step
in the evolution of Greek thought from mythology
and mysticism toward a more rational and scientific
understanding of the natural world. His ideas about
the infinite divisibility of matter and the role of mind
in the cosmos had a lasting impact on the history of
philosophy and science.
He moved to Athens, then becoming the centre of Greek culture, and
brought from Ionia the new practice of philosophy and the spirit of
scientific inquiry. After 30 years’ residence in Athens, he was
prosecuted on a charge of impiety for asserting that the Sun is an
incandescent stone somewhat larger than the region of
the Peloponnese. The attack on him was intended as an indirect blow
at Pericles, and, although Pericles managed to save him, Anaxagoras
was compelled to leave Athens. He spent his last years in retirement
at Lampsacus.
The most original aspect of Anaxagoras’s system was his doctrine
of nous (“mind” or “reason”). The cosmos was formed by mind in two
stages: first, by a revolving and mixing process that still continues;
and, second, by the development of living things. In the first, all of
“the dark” came together to form the night, “the fluid” came together
to form the oceans, and so on with other elements.
Rejection of Traditional Elemental Theories: While Anaxagoras
acknowledged the existence of traditional elements like earth,
water, air, and fire, he claimed that these elements are not
fundamental. Instead, he asserted that everything contains a
mixture of all these elements, with the differences between
substances being due to the proportions of "nous" or mind within
them.