Talk:Anaxagoras

First Cause or Final Purpose?

"However, his enunciation of the order that comes from reason suggested the theory that nature is the work of design." Was Mind (Nous) merely a mechanical, efficient cause? Or was it a teleological, purposive, rational, final cause? Anaxagoras wrote that "Mind took command of the universal revolution, so as to make (things) revolve at the outset." This means that Mind only had an effect at the beginning or start. But, then he wrote: "...whatever they were going to be, and whatever things were then in existence that are not now, and all things that now exist and whatever shall exist --- all were arranged by Mind...." These words may possibly indicate that Mind knew what things "were going to be" and so had a purpose. There is a huge difference between a mover that has no final goal and a mover that has a purpose. This article should specify whether Mind (Nous) was mechanical or anthropomorphic.152.163.101.10 13:48, 17 January 2006 (UTC)Lestrade

As the fragments themslves do not give a clear indication either way, as you point out yourself, but Aristole and most of his interpreters suggested that he was talking about efficent cause, I would go with that. --Lacatosias 17:25, 17 January 2006 (UTC) Hector

Hume & Anaxagoras's Atheism

Hume derived his description of Anaxagoras's atheism from Plato:

Socrates:You surprise me, Meletus; what is your object in saying that? Do you suggest that I do not believe that the sun and moon are gods, like other men do?

Meletus:He certainly does not, gentlemen of the jury, since he says that the sun is a stone and the moon a mass of earth.

Socrates:Do you imagine that you are prosecuting Anaxagoras, my dear Meletus? Have you so poor an opinion of these gentlemen, and do you assume them to be so illiterate as not to know that the writings of Anaxagoras of Clazomenae are full of theories like these?

— Apology, 26d

...when you and I argue for the existence of the Gods, and produce the sun, moon, stars, and earth, claiming for them a divine being, if we would listen to the aforesaid philosophers (Anaxagoras, Democritus, and their followers) we should say that they are earth and stones only, which can have no care at all of human affairs, and that all religion is a working up of words and a make-believe.

— Laws, X, 886D

Lestrade 14:09, 4 June 2006 (UTC)Lestrade