Anaxagoras
He introduced the concept of 'Nous' (mind or intellect) as the ordering principle of the universe.
Most quoted
"When mind began to set things in motion, separation occurred from everything that was in motion, and however much mind set in motion, all this was dissociated; and as things were moving and dissociating, the revolution caused them to dissociate much more."
— from Fragments
"And mind set in order all things that were to be, and all things that were and are not now and that are, and this revolution in which now revolve the stars and the sun and the moon, and the air and the aether that are separated off."
— from Fragments
"And when mind began to move things, separating off took place from all that was moved, and all that mind moved was separated. And as things were moving and separating off, the revolution greatly increased this separating off."
— from Fragments
All quotes by Anaxagoras (149)
Man is superior to other animals because he has hands.
The purpose of life is to contemplate the heavens.
The greatest good is knowledge.
The wise man is he who knows himself.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
Mind is the principle of all things.
All things are in all things, but Mind is in some things.
Mind is the most powerful of all things.
Mind is the cause of the world.
Everything has a portion of everything.
The descent to Hades is the same from every place.
Sun provides light and heat, a fiery stone larger than the Peloponnese.
Mind is infinite and self-ruling, mixed with no thing.
All things were together, infinite in number and smallness.
In the beginning, all was chaos until Mind ordered it.
The seeds of all things are present in everything.
Moon's light is borrowed from the Sun.
Eclipses occur when Earth, Moon, and Sun align.
Living beings arise from moisture and seeds.
The cosmos is a mixture ordered by Nous.
Contemporaries of Anaxagoras
Other Philosophys born within 50 years of Anaxagoras (-500–-428).