Anaxágoras

Anaxagoras was an ancient Greek philosopher. He was born in Clazomenae in Ionia around 500 BCE. He is considered one of the most important pre-Socratic philosophers. Anaxagoras moved to Athens in his early adulthood and is credited with introducing philosophy to the city. While in Athens, he developed his own philosophical system, which significantly influenced later thinkers. However, his philosophical views and scientific observations eventually led to his exile from Athens around 450 BCE. He then moved to Lampsacus, where he continued his philosophical work until his death around 428 BCE.

Anaxagoras's most famous doctrine is the concept of "seeds" or "homoeomeries." He proposed that everything in the universe is a mixture of infinitely divisible particles, each containing a portion of every other thing. He believed that "in everything there is a portion of everything else." This meant that all matter was fundamentally composed of the same basic substances, and differences in things were due to the relative proportions of these substances. For instance, he argued that flesh contains hair, bone, and skin, just in different amounts.

He also introduced the concept of Nous, often translated as Mind or Intellect, as the cosmic organizing principle. Anaxagoras posited that Nous was the force that initiated motion and brought order to the primordial chaotic mixture of all things, setting the universe in motion. This Nous was separate from matter and was the source of intelligence and purpose in the cosmos. His cosmological views were groundbreaking for his time, attempting to provide a rational explanation for the structure and functioning of the universe, moving away from purely mythological explanations.