Anaxagoras on Mind

Abstract

Among the theories on Mind of Pre-Socratic philosophers, the originality of Anaxagoras’ concepts is particularly impressive. The compact, strong, precise Anaxagoras’ thought,the uniqueness of his ontology, plenty of new scientific horizons and further perspectives, attempting to link the real world with metaphysics, the substance with the energy, the Mind (nous) with the human existence and the universe, the man with the cosmos, place Anaxagoras in an exceptional high level in the pantheon of Greek philosophers. According to Anaxagoras, the Mind (nous) is infinite and self-powered. Mind is the supreme principle, the greatest power, that is mixed with nothing but it exists alone itself by itself, whereas all other entities include a portion of everything.Mind is the purest of all entities, with a unique authenticity. It rules over all entities that have life, both greater and less, as the superb creative power, which controls the function and the activity of everything and puts all things in order, setting them in a continuous motion. Anaxagoras claimed that the rotation of the things causes them to be more distinct and active. In addition he had the idea, that the material elements may be divided endlessly. Therefor neither is there a least but there is always a less, even invisible in its unlimited smallness. Subsequently each substance or thing may be both small and great. It is reasonable to conceive that “being” is not “non being or non existing”, and all things include a portion of every type of basic substance, being basically “homoiomerous”. Nothing comes into being nor decays totally. Every type of substance can also emerge from every type of substance. Only mind (Nous) is always the same, self-existent, timeless (achronon), eternal, unchangeable, perfect. Concerning cosmology, Anaxagoras thought that the Mind (Nous) provoked * Professor Emeritus rotation of the primordial chaos and ordered the redistribution of diffusely existing elements, which started to being separated. Ultimately, the continuous rotation induced the creation of cosmos, the structure of the celestial world, the emerge of the universe. Prior to creation of the universe by the Mind, everything was in undifferentiated condition, in a chaotic state, until the continuous rotation in the form of a vortex (perichoresis), caused the formation of the world by the fusion of the various visible material masses. Anaxagoras’philosophy, associating the theoretical elevation with the scientific pragmatism is an important precursor to modern scientific theories, including the theory of relativity and the generation of the universe. Moreover, Anaxagoras’ concept of the omnipotent Mind is a significant milestone in the field Neurophilosophy.